What to do when a Allstate account holder dies

An ILIT is an irrevocable trust that owns a life insurance policy, removing the death benefit from the grantor's taxable estate for federal estate tax purposes. You can use an ILIT with Allstate life insurance policies underwritten by Protective Life. The trust itself owns the policy and is the designated beneficiary. For new policies, have the trustee apply as the policy owner from inception to avoid the three-year lookback rule (IRC Section 2035). If an existing policy is transferred to an ILIT and the insured dies within three years, the proceeds are included in the taxable estate. Allstate does not set up ILITs; consult an estate attorney to establish one.

Call Allstate Life Claims at 800-366-3495 (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. ET) or notify your local Allstate agent. You can also start a claim directly with Protective Life online at claims.protective.com or by calling 800-424-1592 (Monday-Friday, 7:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. CT). You will receive a claim form with instructions. Complete the form, attach a certified death certificate and beneficiary identification, and submit all documents. You can also file and track claims through My Account at myaccount.allstate.com. For Allstate Benefits (group) policies, call American Heritage Life at 800-521-3535.

You will need the completed claim form (provided in the claim packet), a certified death certificate (including cause of death), government-issued identification for the beneficiary, completed IRS Form W-9, and the policy number. If a trust is the beneficiary, trust documents and trustee identification are also required. For accidental death claims, copies of incident reports, autopsy reports, or coroner's reports may be required. For claims under $500,000, email completed paperwork to claims@protective.com or fax to 205-268-6833. For claims over $500,000, mail to Protective Life Claims, P.O. Box 12486, Birmingham, AL 35202.

Yes. Beneficiary designations on Allstate life insurance policies and annuities take precedence over instructions in a will. The named beneficiary on the policy receives the death benefit regardless of what a will states. When a beneficiary other than the estate is named, proceeds also bypass probate entirely. Review and update your beneficiary designations regularly to ensure they align with your current estate plan.

After filing a death claim, the claims process generally takes about two to three weeks from receipt of all required documentation. Once all documents are received and the claim is approved, Protective Life issues payment within 3-6 business days. The timeline depends on the completeness of the submitted paperwork and whether additional documentation or review is required. For policies underwritten by Protective Life, you may also contact Protective Life directly at 800-424-1592 or check claim status online at claims.protective.com.