What to do when a Progressive Life account holder dies
Contact Progressive Life's eFinancial Customer Service — 5-step process, 5 required documents, and progressive states a death benefit can take three to five days to pay out after a claim is filed, though timing depends on the issuing carrier, documentation completeness, and whether the policy is within its contestability period.
Progressive Life by eFinancial
Phone1-866-912-2477
Progressive general customer service
Progressive main line
Final expense quotes
WebsiteLearn more→
Claims (filed with the issuing carrier)
Phone1-800-482-6616
Progressive Life by eFinancial
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
When an insured person dies, the beneficiary or executor should contact Progressive Life's eFinancial Customer Service at 1-800-482-6616 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.
The first step is contacting Progressive Life at 1-800-482-6616 with the account holder's full name, account numbers, and a certified death certificate in hand.
Death claim process
To file a claim after an account holder's death, here is what Progressive Life requires:
Filing a claim
1
Locate the policy documents to identify the carrier that issued the policy; term policies may be underwritten by Progressive Life Insurance Company in select states, while other policies are issued by a partner carrier placed through eFinancial
2
If the policy or carrier cannot be found, call Progressive Life by eFinancial at 1-866-912-2477 or eFinancial customer service at 1-800-482-6616, or use the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator at eapps.naic.org/life-policy-locator
3
Request the issuing carrier's state-specific death claim form from the carrier directly or through eFinancial customer service
4
Complete the claim form and submit it to the issuing carrier with required documentation:
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- The policyholder's full name (including maiden name if any), Social Security number, and policy number
- Valid identification or proof of relationship for the beneficiary
- Trust documents and trustee identification if a trust is the beneficiary
5
The issuing carrier reviews the claim and pays the death benefit to the named beneficiary
Required Documents
- The issuing carrier's completed state-specific death claim form
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Policyholder's full name, Social Security number, and policy number
- Valid identification or proof of relationship for the beneficiary
- Trust documents and trustee identification (if a trust is the beneficiary)
What to know at this institution
Progressive Advantage Agency and eFinancial place coverage but do not pay claims. Progressive's disclosure states that for policies placed through eFinancial, "PAA and its affiliated entities are not responsible for insurer or coverage selections, policies issued, claims." The beneficiary files the claim with the carrier that issued the policy, which is named on the policy documents. eFinancial customer service (1-800-482-6616) can help a beneficiary identify the issuing carrier and access the correct state claim form. Where a term policy was underwritten by Progressive Life Insurance Company, that company is the issuing carrier.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Progressive Life
Progressive Life asks for a letter of instruction alongside its claim form. We prepare a transmittal cover letter and the enclosure checklist Progressive Life requires.
Build your letter of instructionExpected timelines at Progressive Life: Progressive states a death benefit can take three to five days to pay out after a claim is filed, though timing depends on the issuing carrier, documentation completeness, and whether the policy is within its contestability period. 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 Progressive Life includes The issuing carrier's completed state-specific death claim form, Certified copy of the death certificate, and Policyholder's full name, Social Security number, and policy number, along with additional paperwork that varies by account type. All death certificates and court documents must be certified copies.
Frequently asked questions
The claim is filed with the carrier that issued the policy, which is named on the policy documents. For most Progressive life insurance policies that carrier is a partner insurer placed through eFinancial; for a term policy underwritten by Progressive Life Insurance Company in a select state, that company is the carrier. Progressive Advantage Agency and eFinancial place coverage but do not pay claims.
Check the policy documents, which name the issuing carrier. If the policy or carrier cannot be located, call Progressive Life by eFinancial at 1-866-912-2477 or eFinancial customer service at 1-800-482-6616. Progressive also points survivors to the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator at eapps.naic.org/life-policy-locator to search for a policy.
The issuing carrier's state-specific death claim form, a certified copy of the death certificate, and the policyholder's full name (including maiden name if any), Social Security number, and policy number. A beneficiary may also need valid identification or proof of relationship to the deceased. If a trust is the beneficiary, the carrier requires the trust documents and trustee identification.
Progressive states a death benefit can take three to five days to pay out after a claim is filed. Actual timing depends on the issuing carrier, whether documentation is complete, and whether the policy is within its contestability period.
Yes. A trust can be named as beneficiary so the death benefit pays into the trust rather than to an individual. The issuing carrier processes the designation and requires the full legal trust name, the date the trust was established, and the trust's tax identification number. A beneficiary change is made through the carrier that issued the policy.
Final expense coverage ($5,000 to $40,000, typically with no medical exam) is placed through eFinancial, LLC with a partner carrier. eFinancial is not affiliated with Progressive. A beneficiary files the claim with the carrier that issued the final expense policy, using the carrier's claim form and a certified death certificate.
Progressive Life's Claims (filed with the issuing carrier) can be reached by phone at 1-800-482-6616 for questions throughout the claims process.
When the deceased had multiple Progressive Life policies, some may need separate claims while others can be handled together. The eFinancial Customer Service can clarify what's needed for each account type.
Sources
Data sourced from Progressive Life primary sources (5 pages reviewed). How we research.
Progressive Life by eFinancial
Phone1-866-912-2477
Progressive general customer service
Progressive main line
Final expense quotes
WebsiteLearn more→
Claims (filed with the issuing carrier)
Phone1-800-482-6616
Progressive Life by eFinancial
WebsiteNotify online→
Verified Jul 2026
Estate planning articles
Learn how to protect your Progressive Life accounts and other assets with trusts, beneficiary designations, and estate planning documents.
