What to do when a Athene account holder dies
Contact Athene — 9-step process, 7 required documents, and claim packet mailed within 5-7 business days of death notification. benefit payment processed within 8-10 business days of receiving complete documentation in good order.
Customer Service
P.O. Box 1555, Des Moines, IA 50306-1555
Customer Service
P.O. Box 1555, Des Moines, IA 50306-1555
Death Benefit Claims
P.O. Box 1555, Des Moines, IA 50306-1555
When an insured person dies, the beneficiary or executor should contact Athene's Death Benefit Claims at 1-888-266-8489 to start the claims process. Insurance proceeds are paid directly to the named beneficiary and do not go through probate. How quickly the claim is processed depends on the policy type, documentation, and cause of death.
Death claims at Athene can be started through an online portal, which streamlines the initial notification and document upload. Phone and mail options are also available.
Death claim process
Follow these steps to file a death claim with Athene:
Filing a claim
- Certified death certificate stating cause and manner of death
- Government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary
- Trust beneficiaries: submit trust documents and trustee identification
- Estate beneficiaries: submit Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration
- Minor beneficiaries: submit court-approved Letters of Guardianship or Conservatorship
Required Documents
- Completed claim form (from claim packet mailed by Athene)
- Certified death certificate stating cause and manner of death
- Government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary
- Contract number and deceased's personal information
- Trust documents and trustee ID (if a trust is the beneficiary)
- Letters Testamentary or Letters of Administration (if estate is the beneficiary)
- Court-approved Letters of Guardianship or Conservatorship (if minor is the beneficiary)
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
All beneficiaries listed on the contract will be contacted directly and receive a claim form packet. Payout options include lump sum, periodic payments, spousal continuation, and internal/external fund transfers. A surviving spouse named as sole primary beneficiary may elect spousal continuation and keep the contract in force under their own name, preserving tax deferral. For a non-spouse beneficiary, the after-death distribution rules of IRC 72(s) apply: the death benefit must generally be distributed either in full within five years of the owner's death (the "five-year rule"), or as a lifetime/period-certain payout that begins within one year of death. A trust or estate beneficiary cannot use spousal continuation. Athene provides a Beneficiary Toolkit to help with the claim process and document collection. Specific claim form kits available: Individual Beneficiary Qualified Claims Kit, Trust Beneficiary Claims Kit, and Annuity Claim Form.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Athene
Athene asks for a letter of instruction alongside its claim form. We prepare a transmittal cover letter and the enclosure checklist Athene requires.
Build your letter of instructionExpected timelines at Athene: Claim packet mailed within 5-7 business days of death notification. Benefit payment processed within 8-10 business days of receiving complete documentation in good order. Delays are almost always caused by incomplete paperwork—gathering all required documents before filing the initial claim helps avoid back-and-forth.
Documentation required by Athene includes Completed claim form (from claim packet mailed by Athene), Certified death certificate stating cause and manner of death, and Government-issued photo ID for the beneficiary, along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
Submit a death notification online at athene.com/start-a-claim or call 888-266-8489 (Option 1, then Option 3). Athene will verify the benefit and mail a claim packet to all listed beneficiaries within 5-7 business days. Specific claim form kits are available for individual beneficiaries, trust beneficiaries, and estate beneficiaries. Once all completed forms and documentation are received in good order, payment is processed within 8-10 business days.
Athene offers lump sum, periodic payments, spousal continuation, and internal or external transfer of funds. The options available depend on the contract type and the beneficiary's relationship to the deceased. A surviving spouse named as sole primary beneficiary may elect spousal continuation and keep the contract under their own name, preserving tax deferral. A non-spouse beneficiary is subject to the IRC 72(s) after-death distribution rules: the value must generally be paid out in full within five years of the owner's death, or taken as a lifetime or period-certain payout that begins within one year of death. A trust or estate named as beneficiary cannot use spousal continuation and is bound by these same distribution deadlines.
When beneficiaries are designated on your Athene annuity contract, death benefits pass directly to the named beneficiaries without going through probate. This applies to both individual and trust beneficiaries. If no beneficiary is designated, or if all named beneficiaries predecease the annuitant, the death benefit may be paid to the estate and go through probate.
Athene's Death Benefit Claims can be reached by phone at 1-888-266-8489, email at AskAthene@Athene.com, and fax at 1-866-709-3922 for questions throughout the claims process.
When the deceased had multiple Athene policies, some may need separate claims while others can be handled together. The Death Benefit Claims can clarify what's needed for each account type.
Sources
Data sourced from Athene primary sources (24 pages reviewed). How we research.
Customer Service
P.O. Box 1555, Des Moines, IA 50306-1555
Customer Service
P.O. Box 1555, Des Moines, IA 50306-1555
Death Benefit Claims
P.O. Box 1555, Des Moines, IA 50306-1555
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