What to do when a Legal & General America account holder dies
Contact Legal & General America's William Penn Life Insurance Company of New York (Customer Service) — 7-step process, 7 required documents, and claims of $50,000 or less may qualify for the accelerated claims process. non-contestable claims are paid on the claims department's receipt and approval of the proof-of-death documents. a death within two years of the policy issue date falls in the contestable period and triggers a records investigation with no prescribed time limit — expect a materially longer review.
Brand change
Legal & General Group, plc sold its US protection business to the Meiji Yasuda Group. Banner Life Insurance Company and William Penn Life Insurance Company of New York continue operating under those names, and the "Legal & General America" umbrella brand has been retired in favor of the Banner Life family-of-companies brand. Policies, forms (still hosted at forms.lgamerica.com), contacts, and claims processes are unchanged; lgamerica.com 301-redirects to bannerlife.com. Effective February 2026.
The procedures below reflect Legal & General America's accounts. Account servicing may transfer as the change takes effect.
Legal & General America
Subsidiary of Meiji Yasuda Group (acquired from Legal & General Group, plc)
bannerlife.com→
Banner Life Customer and Administrative Services
Phone1-301-279-4800
Toll-Free1-800-638-8428
Fax1-301-294-6960
Mailing Address
Banner Life Insurance Company, 3275 Bennett Creek Avenue, Frederick, MD 21704
William Penn (New York) Customer Service
William Penn direct
Banner Life Retirement Services
William Penn Retirement Services
WebsiteLearn more→
William Penn Life Insurance Company of New York (Customer Service)
Phone1-516-794-3700
Toll-Free1-800-346-4773
Fax1-516-229-3081
Mailing Address
William Penn Life Insurance Company of New York, 3275 Bennett Creek Avenue, Frederick, MD 21704 (registered office: 70 East Sunrise Highway, Suite 500, Valley Stream, NY 11581)
Banner Life Claims Department
Fax1-301-294-6960
Mailing Address
Banner Life Insurance Company, Claims Department, 3275 Bennett Creek Avenue, Frederick, MD 21704
William Penn Claims (New York)
Retirement Services Claims
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
A death claim on a Legal & General America policy is filed through the William Penn Life Insurance Company of New York (Customer Service) (1-800-638-8428 ext. 6974). Because insurance proceeds pass directly to named beneficiaries, this process is separate from probate. The required documentation and timeline vary by policy type.
Death claims at Legal & General America 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
Here is the step-by-step death claim process at Legal & General America:
Filing a claim
1
Locate the Banner Life or William Penn policy and note the policy number
2
Notify the Claims Department. Complete notice of death, per Banner Life's administrative manual, includes:
- Name and address of the deceased, the policy number, and the date and cause of death
- Beneficiary name and address, and the name and address of the person the claim forms should be sent to
- The country where the death occurred, if outside the United States
3
Reach the Claims Department through one of these channels:
- File online at my.bannerlife.com/claims/new
- Call Banner Life claims at 800-638-8428, ext. 6974 (Mon-Fri 8:00AM-5:00PM ET)
- Call William Penn (New York) claims at 800-346-4773, ext. 3379
4
Banner Life verifies the coverage is in force and confirms the identity of the named beneficiaries, then communicates DIRECTLY with each beneficiary and sends the claim forms by mail, fax, or email. The beneficiary — not the agent — is responsible for furnishing proof of loss.
5
Return the completed claim package:
- A Proof of Death Claimant's Statement completed by EACH beneficiary, each bearing that claimant's ORIGINAL signature
- For claims OVER $50,000: one ORIGINAL certified death certificate showing the final cause and manner of death. Banner Life cannot accept a death certificate showing the cause as "Pending."
- For claims of $50,000 or less: a photocopy of the final death certificate is accepted
- A copy of the trust document, if a trust is the beneficiary
- Additional documentation if the beneficiary is the insured's estate, a minor, a corporation, or an assignee — or if the death resulted from violence or occurred outside the United States or Canada
6
Banner Life accepts a faxed or emailed return of the claim forms ONLY on Accelerated claims (policy proceeds of $50,000 or less). Every other claim must be returned with original signatures by mail to Banner Life Insurance Company, 3275 Bennett Creek Avenue, Frederick, MD 21704.
7
Non-contestable claims are payable on the Claims Department's receipt and approval of the proof-of-death documents. The distribution check is mailed directly to the beneficiary.
Required Documents
- Proof of Death Claimant's Statement — one per beneficiary, each with the claimant's ORIGINAL signature (issued by the Claims Department; not a public download)
- Original certified death certificate with final cause and manner of death for claims over $50,000; a photocopy is accepted on claims of $50,000 or less. A death certificate showing the cause as "Pending" is not accepted.
- Copy of the trust document, if a trust is the beneficiary
- Letters Testamentary / Letters of Administration, if the insured's ESTATE is the beneficiary
- UTMA custodian or court-appointed guardian documentation, if a minor is the beneficiary
- Corporate authority documentation, if a corporation is the beneficiary; assignment documentation if an assignee is the beneficiary
- Additional documentation where the death resulted from violence or occurred outside the United States or Canada
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
Banner Life runs a beneficiary-direct claims process: once it verifies coverage is in force and confirms the named beneficiaries, the Claims Department contacts each beneficiary directly and furnishes the forms; the agent or agency cannot furnish proof of loss on the beneficiary's behalf. Claim forms go out by mail, fax, or email, but Banner Life will only ACCEPT a fax or email return on Accelerated claims (proceeds of $50,000 or less) — larger claims must come back with original wet signatures. The distribution check is mailed to the beneficiary unless the beneficiary submits a written request to route it through the agency. Claims Department extensions: 6974 for Banner Life, 3379 for William Penn. Separately, if the POLICY OWNER (not the insured) dies — common where a parent or a trust owns a policy on someone else's life — the Ownership Change Form LP154 requires a copy of the death certificate plus Letters Testamentary or a Letter of Appointment before ownership can move.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Legal & General America
Legal & General America asks for a letter of instruction alongside its claim form. We prepare a transmittal cover letter and the enclosure checklist Legal & General America requires.
Build your letter of instructionHow long the process takes at Legal & General America: Claims of $50,000 or less may qualify for the Accelerated claims process. Non-contestable claims are paid on the Claims Department's receipt and approval of the proof-of-death documents. A death within TWO YEARS of the policy issue date falls in the contestable period and triggers a records investigation with no prescribed time limit — expect a materially longer review. The most common reason for delays is missing or incomplete documentation, so submitting everything upfront is the best way to keep things moving.
Legal & General America requires several documents to process a claim, including Proof of Death Claimant's Statement — one per beneficiary, each with the claimant's ORIGINAL signature (issued by the Claims Department; not a public download), Original certified death certificate with final cause and manner of death for claims over $50,000; a photocopy is accepted on claims of $50,000 or less. A death certificate showing the cause as "Pending" is not accepted., and Copy of the trust document, if a trust is the beneficiary, and additional documentation depending on the account type. Certified copies are typically needed—photocopies are generally not accepted for death certificates or court documents.
Frequently asked questions
The Ownership Change Form, LP154 (forms.lgamerica.com/LP154) — LP154WP for a William Penn / New York policy. Do not use the Policy Change Form LU1071; that form only handles coverage decreases, payment mode, payor changes, and lost-policy requests. When a trust is the incoming owner, Banner Life also requires a Trust Certification (LU1277, or LU1277WP for William Penn) plus ALL pages of the trust document, the trust's TIN, and the names and signatures of every trustee. Both the current owner and a trustee of the new owner must sign the LP154, and the trust's Tax ID and a date-of-birth field are mandatory. Banner Life accepts the package by mail, fax (301-294-6960), or email (customerservice@bannerlife.com), and the policy itself does not need to be returned. Transferring an in-force policy to an ILIT starts the IRC Section 2035 three-year lookback: if the insured dies within three years, the death benefit is pulled back into the taxable estate.
For claims where the policy proceeds exceed $50,000, Banner Life requires ONE ORIGINAL certified death certificate showing the final cause and manner of death. For policies of $50,000 or less, a photocopy of the final death certificate is accepted. In either case, Banner Life cannot accept a death certificate that lists the cause of death as "Pending" — the claim waits until the certificate is amended. The same $50,000 line governs how you can return the paperwork: Banner Life sends claim forms by mail, fax, or email, but will only ACCEPT a faxed or emailed return on Accelerated claims (proceeds of $50,000 or less). Larger claims must be returned by mail with each beneficiary's original wet signature on their own Proof of Death Claimant's Statement.
The claim falls inside the contestable period. Banner Life treats a death, disability, or other claimed loss occurring within TWO YEARS of the policy issue date as contestable and opens a records investigation to confirm the information in the application was true and complete. Banner Life states this review happens regardless of the cause of death, including deaths from accident or violence, and that there is no prescribed time limit for concluding a contestable investigation — so expect a materially longer wait than a non-contestable claim, which is payable as soon as the Claims Department receives and approves the proof-of-death documents. Additional documentation is also required whenever the death resulted from violence or occurred outside the United States or Canada.
This is a retitling matter, not a death claim — it comes up when a parent or a trust owns a policy on someone else's life. The Ownership Change Form LP154 states that when the current owner is deceased, you must provide a copy of the death certificate along with Letters Testamentary or a Letter of Appointment, so the executor or administrator can sign the transfer to the new owner. Note that a collateral assignment blocks the change: once a policy is assigned, all ownership rights sit with the assignee, and the assignee must approve the ownership transfer or provide a written release of assignment first. Send the package to the Customer and Administrative Services Department at 3275 Bennett Creek Avenue, Frederick, MD 21704, fax 301-294-6960, or customerservice@bannerlife.com.
Legal & General America's Banner Life Claims Department can be reached by phone at 1-800-638-8428 ext. 6974, email at customerservice@bannerlife.com, and fax at 1-301-294-6960 for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from Legal & General America primary sources (19 pages reviewed). How we research.
Legal & General America
Subsidiary of Meiji Yasuda Group (acquired from Legal & General Group, plc)
bannerlife.com→Banner Life Customer and Administrative Services
Phone1-301-279-4800
Toll-Free1-800-638-8428
Fax1-301-294-6960
Mailing Address
Banner Life Insurance Company, 3275 Bennett Creek Avenue, Frederick, MD 21704
William Penn (New York) Customer Service
William Penn direct
Banner Life Retirement Services
William Penn Retirement Services
WebsiteLearn more→
William Penn Life Insurance Company of New York (Customer Service)
Phone1-516-794-3700
Toll-Free1-800-346-4773
Fax1-516-229-3081
Mailing Address
William Penn Life Insurance Company of New York, 3275 Bennett Creek Avenue, Frederick, MD 21704 (registered office: 70 East Sunrise Highway, Suite 500, Valley Stream, NY 11581)
Banner Life Claims Department
Fax1-301-294-6960
Mailing Address
Banner Life Insurance Company, Claims Department, 3275 Bennett Creek Avenue, Frederick, MD 21704
William Penn Claims (New York)
Retirement Services Claims
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
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