What to do when a ManhattanLife account holder dies
Report the death to ManhattanLife's Claims Department at 1-800-877-7705
When an insured person dies, the beneficiary or executor should contact ManhattanLife's Claims Department at 1-800-877-7705 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 claim process
The death claim process at ManhattanLife works as follows:
Filing a claim
- Life: the Beneficiary Claimant Statement, or the Beneficiary Claimant Statement - Under $5,000
- Annuities on all Western United Life contracts and Manhattan Life contracts beginning with "ML": the Beneficiary Annuity Claimant's Statement
- A trust claiming an annuity death benefit as a beneficiary: also the Trust Information, Trustee Certification, Indemnification Agreement
- Voluntary benefits (group policy) coverage: the VB Life Claim Form
- A Gold Cross burial association benefit: the Gold Cross Burial Association Claim Form
- ManhattanLife Insurance and Annuity Company
- The Manhattan Life Insurance Company
- Family Life Insurance Company
- Western United Life Assurance Company
- American General Life Insurance (Administered by ManhattanLife)
- Beneficiary Claimant Statement, the Under $5,000 statement and the Gold Cross form: Claims Department, P.O. Box 925309, Houston, TX 77292-5309
- Acknowledgment of Misplaced Policy: Policy Holder Services, P.O. Box 925989, Houston, TX 77292
- VB Life Claim Form: ManhattanLife VB Claims, PO Box 926169, Houston TX 77292 (fax 1-502-405-7107, email vbclaimssubmissions@manhattanlife.com)
- Beneficiary Annuity Claimant's Statement and the trust certification: Annuity Operations Office, PO Box 2290, Spokane WA 99210-2217 (fax 509.835.3190)
- The policy number, the name of the insured, the date of death and the insured's date of birth
- The manner of death: Natural, Accident, Suicide or Homicide
- Your name, relationship, mailing address, telephone, fax number and email address
- Whether you are the beneficiary, and whether you know who the beneficiary is
- Any additional policy numbers, and whether the claim proceeds will be assigned to a funeral home
Required Documents
- Beneficiary Claimant Statement, for a life claim; if there is more than one beneficiary, each makes a separate statementSworn to before an officer authorized by law to administer oaths; the form carries a notary block.
- Certified copy of the standard certificate of death of the insured, with the Beneficiary Claimant StatementThe form says a properly certified copy must be furnished.
- The original policy, with the Beneficiary Claimant StatementIf it was lost or destroyed, the form asks for an Affidavit of Lost Policy Form. Its fee is waived when filed with the statement, and no replacement copy of the policy is issued.
- Beneficiary Claimant Statement - Under $5,000It must include a copy of the insured's death certificate showing the cause of death, and it asks whether the original policy is enclosed or lost or destroyed.
- Acknowledgment of Misplaced Policy (AD2007), when the signer does not have the policySigned by the owner, beneficiary, claimant, guardian, trustee or executor and by a witness.
- Certified copies showing proper appointment and authority, if the policy is payable to a minor (the guardian claims) or to the estate or legal representative (the executor or administrator claims)
- Certified copy of the standard death certificate of the deceased beneficiary, if a named beneficiary died before the insured
- The assignee's statement and the original assignment, if the policy was assigned
- Certified copy of all evidence and the verdict, if any inquest or investigation was held
- VB Life Claim Form, for voluntary benefits (group policy) coverageIt asks for all policies, if available, and a certified death certificate with the state's raised seal.
- Police, toxicology, autopsy or medical examiner reports, with the VB Life Claim Form, if the manner of death is due to unnatural causesAny available reports.
- Beneficiary Annuity Claimant's Statement, for an annuity; each claimant completes a separate formAttach the original contract and certified death certificates. The form asks for the original page 3 of the contract, or a declaration that the contract was lost or destroyed.
- Trust Information, Trustee Certification, Indemnification Agreement, if a trust makes a claim for an annuity death benefit as a beneficiarySigned by all currently acting trustees, each before a notary. Producers may not act as notary.
- Gold Cross Burial Association Claim Form, for a Gold Cross burial association benefitA copy of a certified death certificate is acceptable if the seal is legible. A benefit paid to the estate needs a paid-in-full statement from the servicing funeral home.
Claims Contact
Website: Online portal →
Forms ManhattanLife issues10
- Notification of Death (online form)
Completed online.1
- Beneficiary Claimant Statement (LIFE-CLM-1010)
Completed by each beneficiary, or the guardian, executor or administrator. Available to download. Must be notarized.2
- Beneficiary Claimant Statement - Under $5,000
Completed by the claimant. Available to download.3
- Acknowledgment of Misplaced Policy (AD2007)
Completed by the owner, beneficiary, claimant, guardian, trustee or executor, with a witness. Available to download.4
- VB Life Claim Form
Completed by the beneficiary. Available to download.5
- Gold Cross Burial Association Claim Form
Completed by the beneficiary. Available to download.6
- Beneficiary Annuity Claimant's Statement
Completed by each claimant, with a witness signature. Available to download.7
- Annuity Claimant's Statement for Established Periodic Payments
Completed by a beneficiary continuing established periodic payments. Available to download.8
- Beneficiary Annuity Contract Change Request
Completed by a spouse beneficiary only. Available to download.8
- Trust Information, Trustee Certification, Indemnification Agreement
Completed by all currently acting trustees. Available to download. Must be notarized.9
What happens to each kind of account2
- Life insurance policy
When a policy is payable to the estate or legal representative of the insured, the executor or administrator makes the claimant's statement.2
If a named beneficiary died before the insured, unless the policy provides otherwise, the appointed executor or administrator of the insured's estate makes the claimant's statement.2
- Annuity
The annuity death claim forms apply only to Western United Life Insurance Company annuity contracts and Manhattan Life Insurance Company contracts whose numbers begin with "ML".8
Only a spouse beneficiary may endorse (continue) the contract, on the Beneficiary Annuity Contract Change Request. A beneficiary continuing established periodic payments uses the Annuity Claimant's Statement for Established Periodic Payments.8
Accounts handled elsewhere3
- ManhattanLife Annuity Operations Office
Manhattan Life annuity contracts beginning with "ML" and all Western United Life annuity contracts10
Phone: 1-800-247-2045
Email: AnnuityServices@wula.com
Mailing address: PO Box 2290, Spokane, WA 99210-2217
- VB Claims Department
Voluntary benefits (group policy) claims11
Phone: 1-855-448-6982
Email: VBClaimsSubmissions@manhattanlife.com
Fax: 1-502-405-7107
Mailing address: PO Box 926169, Houston, TX 77292
- Secure Advantage Final Expense
Secure Advantage final expense policies10
Phone: 1-800-327-0695
Email: support@standardlifeco.com
Mailing address: P.O. Box 510690, Salt Lake City, UT 84151
What ManhattanLife's agreement and guidance say4
- Payment to a minor or incapacitated beneficiary
When a policy is payable to a minor, the guardian makes the claimant's statement and furnishes certified copies showing proper appointment and authority.2
- How proceeds are paid
On the Beneficiary Annuity Claimant's Statement the beneficiary chooses a single sum, leaving the proceeds as an open claim until further notice, a settlement option from the contract, or a direct transfer or 1035 exchange. Not all options may be available for a claim.7
The VB Life Claim Form asks whether an assignment of benefits will be submitted to have the proceeds paid to a funeral home.5
- What it says about taxes
The Beneficiary Annuity Claimant's Statement carries a withholding election and says: "If Not Checked and the Payment Amount is Sufficient, We are Required to Withhold Income Tax."7
- Indemnity a claimant may have to give
A trust claiming an annuity death benefit agrees, with its trustees, to personally indemnify and hold ManhattanLife harmless for acting on instructions it reasonably believes came from the trustees.9
Not in ManhattanLife's published guidance1
- How long a claim takes
Sources11
- 1.Life Forms
- 2.Beneficiary Claimant Statement, LIFE-CLM-1010
- 3.Beneficiary Claimant Statement – Under $5,000, LIFE-CLM-0509-U5K-1010
- 4.Acknowledgment of Misplaced Policy, AD2007
- 5.VB Life Claim Form, 11/23
- 6.Gold Cross Burial Association Claim Form, GOLD-CROSS-1010
- 7.Beneficiary Annuity Claimant's Statement, CLST 02.2025
- 8.Annuity Death Claim Forms
- 9.Trust Information, Trustee Certification, Indemnification Agreement, TRST 02.2025
- 10.Quick Contact Information
- 11.Claim Forms (Voluntary Benefits)
ManhattanLife's Claims Department can be reached by phone at 1-800-877-7705 and email at cservice@manhattanlife.com for questions throughout the claims process.
Sources
Data sourced from ManhattanLife primary sources (23 pages reviewed). How we research.
ManhattanLife death claims support
Claims Department
Phone
Toll-free
Customer Service Department printed on the claim forms
Mailing address
Website
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