Term life insurance is intended to pay an agreed amount when the insured dies within the insured period. Pure risk insurance generally does not accumulate capital released at maturity. Surviving relatives may therefore face different questions from those under savings or investment-linked insurance. Was the policy still active, who is entitled to payment and what supports the insurer’s refusal? First collect the contract and a written explanation. An investigation request is not yet a final rejection.
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1. Check the insured death and policy duration
Find whose life is insured and the start and end dates on the schedule. Also check acceptance confirmation and any conditions for provisional cover. An application or paid first premium does not always tell the whole story about when definitive cover arose. With two insured people, it must be clear which death triggers payment and what subsequently happens to insurance. Consult your own policy.
The insured amount may remain level throughout the term or decrease under an agreed schedule. For an amount lower than expected, ask for that schedule and the date of death used. Do not compare the amount solely with the original mortgage debt or an old quotation. Make an overview of the amount applied for, ultimately accepted and all later amendments. This clarifies whether you dispute cover, calculation or both.
2. Establish who can request payment
The policyholder concludes the contract, the insured is the person whose life the risk concerns and the beneficiary receives payment under the applicable designation. Ask the insurer to confirm the current beneficiary order. Do not assume equal division among heirs without checking. A partner may be named in the policy, but precise wording and later changes determine further assessment.
For a mortgage, the policy may be pledged to the lender. Therefore also ask whether the bank must be involved in settlement. Divorce, a new relationship, death of an earlier beneficiary or disagreement among relatives calls for separate legal investigation of the designation’s interpretation. Report a disputed entitlement in writing promptly. This makes the problem visible before the insurer treats the file solely as an ordinary administrative application.
3. Report the death and request a document list
Report the death to the insurer or designated administrator and ask which documents are needed. These may include the policy number, contact details, death certificate and identification of the person entitled. Exact requirements differ by file and a death abroad may raise further questions. In that case ask which translation or confirmation is required. Supply sensitive documents through the insurer’s designated secure channel.
Record when notification was received and which documents you submitted. Request acknowledgement and a specific explanation if assessment stalls. State when a requested document does not exist or is not yet available and discuss a workable alternative. Keep originals and supply copies where possible. A regular contact and one chronological file maintain oversight even where several family members help with practical settlement.
4. Investigate reliance on the health declaration
After death, an insurer may investigate whether sufficient information was provided on application. Ask which health declaration question it says was answered incorrectly or incompletely and what information was known then. The application stage matters, not solely knowledge becoming available after death. Collect the original questionnaire, explanation and supplementary questions and answers. Have the insurer clarify which acceptance decision it would have made with correct information.
An incomplete answer does not automatically produce the same outcome in every situation. Applicable disclosure rules and the insurer’s substantiation require specific assessment. Also discuss the period between declaration and definitive acceptance if changes occurred then. Do not draw medical conclusions yourself from isolated record entries. Have legal questions and processing of medical data handled through designated experts and request understandable explanations of their findings.
5. Distinguish investigation from a proved rejection ground
Some insurers use the Toetsingscommissie Gezondheidsgegevens when investigating disclosure after death. Ask whether this occurs, which arrangement applies and what information you receive about the investigation. A procedure explained for another insurer’s product need not apply to your policy. Investigation shortly after inception does not itself mean the deceased consciously withheld information.
Request the final findings and a separately reasoned position on contractual consequences. Check whether rejection actually matches the facts investigated. If the insurer cites an exclusion, request the exact provision and facts relied on. Applicability and interpretation of that clause may also be disputed. Clearly separate suspicions, established data and conclusions in your own response.
6. Check premium problems and earlier termination
An insurer may say cover ended before death because premiums were unpaid. Then request payment history, reminders, dispatch details and the letter announcing termination or another change. Special rules exist for life insurance; do not automatically import the non-life insurance rules. Kifid highlights the importance of a clear warning and assessment of precisely how it was given.
Pure risk insurance generally has no surrender value. Paying premiums for years therefore does not automatically create a refund entitlement when the insured reaches maturity. Nevertheless, have your own contract checked for old products or different terms. Assess alleged termination separately from a health declaration dispute. For several grounds, ask the insurer to explain for each why it says that ground independently prevents payment.
7. Formulate your complaint and monitor the next steps
First file a focused written complaint with the insurer. State on whose behalf you act, your entitlement and the rejection ground disputed. Attach the policy and relevant correspondence and request correction or a final reasoned position. A fictional example is a decreasing insured amount calculated using the wrong policy year: include the schedule and identify the exact line used.
After the internal procedure, Kifid may have jurisdiction; check membership conditions, admissibility and the applicable submission deadline. Civil proceedings may be an alternative, for example for complex claims involving several people. For a substantial payment or impending limitation, promptly have the action needed to preserve your position assessed. A complaint alone provides no general certainty about all deadlines. Legal assistance may particularly help combine evidence, jurisdiction and desired outcome.
Frequently asked questions
Does every term life policy accumulate a pot of money?
No. Pure risk insurance generally accumulates no surrender value and pays only on the contractually insured death. Check different or older products separately.
May the insurer examine the health declaration after death?
This may form part of investigating the disclosure duty. Ask which specific answers are disputed and obtain legal assessment of the alleged consequences.
Am I automatically the recipient as an heir?
No. The beneficiary designation and any pledgeholder’s rights must be checked. Being an heir does not automatically provide the complete answer.
Sources
These sources relate to this page. For a specific case, check current rules and your own documents.
- Nationale-Nederlanden — overlijdensrisicoverzekering Accessed: 2026-10-23
- a.s.r. — begunstiging Accessed: 2026-10-23
- Kifid — uitspraak 2017-779 Accessed: 2026-10-23
- Interpolis — uitkering overlijdensrisicoverzekering Accessed: 2026-10-23
- Kifid — te laat betalen levensverzekering Accessed: 2026-10-23
- Kifid — kan Kifid mijn klacht behandelen? Accessed: 2026-10-23
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Editorial team Insurance law in the Netherlands
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Ricardo van der Spoel
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