What to do when a Western & Southern account holder dies
Contact Western & Southern's Western & Southern Life Claims Department — 4-step process, 7 required documents, and a few business days after all required documentation is received; claims involving contestability or foreign death may take longer
400 Broadway, Cincinnati, OH 45202-3341. Claims mailing: P.O. Box 1399, Cincinnati, OH 45273-9425
Western & Southern Life Claims Department
400 Broadway, Cincinnati, OH 45202-3341. Claims mailing: P.O. Box 1399, Cincinnati, OH 45273-9425
Western & Southern Life Claims Department
Western and Southern Life Insurance Company Claims Department, P.O. Box 1399, Cincinnati, OH 45273-9425
Filing a death claim on a Western & Southern policy begins with notifying the Western & Southern Life Claims Department at 1-800-926-1315. Life insurance claims are separate from probate—proceeds transfer directly to named beneficiaries regardless of whether the estate goes through court. The timeline and documentation requirements depend on the policy type and cause of death.
Western & Southern provides an online portal for initiating death claims, which can simplify the initial notification and document submission process. Claims can also be started by phone or by mailing the required documents.
Death claim process
The death claim process at Western & Southern works as follows:
Filing a claim
- Call the Claims Department at 1-800-926-1315
- It is not necessary to know the policy number -- the claims team can locate active policies using a name, date of birth, or Social Security number
- Anyone can start a claim: a loved one, beneficiary, family friend, or funeral home
- Once the claim is filed, the Claims Department will follow up with all listed beneficiaries
- Each beneficiary should complete a separate Death Benefit Claim form (DO-1592-L-2502), downloadable from westernsouthern.com/wslife/support/file-a-claim
- Obtain a certified copy of the death certificate
- Submit the claim form and death certificate by email to claimform@westernsouthern.com or by mail to P.O. Box 1399, Cincinnati, OH 45273-9425
- The Claims Department reviews the claim and contacts you if additional documents are needed (Claim Review)
- Once all documentation is received, a final review is conducted (Final Review)
- Choose payout method: lump sum check, lump sum to W&S Life Account (available for amounts $10,000 or higher; administered by The Northern Trust Company at 0.10% interest), installment income (monthly/quarterly/semi-annual/annual for 5-30 years), interest income (interest paid in regular intervals), interest accumulation (proceeds held earning interest with withdrawals available), or life income with no refund (income for your lifetime with payments stopping at death)
- Once approved, payment is issued using the option you selected (Payment Issued)
Required Documents
- Completed Death Benefit Claim form (DO-1592-L)
- Certified copy of the death certificate
- Government-issued ID for beneficiary or trustee
- Beneficiary Social Security number and contact information
- Policy number (if available; not required to initiate a claim)
- Trust documents and trustee identification (if trust is beneficiary)
- Letters of Appointment or court documentation (if estate claim)
Claims Contact
What to know at this institution
Payment options include: Lump Sum Check (one-time payment as a check), Lump Sum to W&S Life Account (available for amounts $10,000 or higher; entire proceeds transferred to a W&S Life Account in your name, administered by The Northern Trust Company, earning interest at 0.10%), Installment Income (payments made monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually for 5-30 years or for a specific dollar amount, with the unpaid portion earning interest), Interest Income (interest earned on the benefit paid in regular intervals -- monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual), Interest Accumulation (proceeds held by W&S Life earning interest with full or partial withdrawals available at any time), and Life Income No Refund (proceeds and interest used to provide income for your lifetime; payments stop at death with no further payments due). Each beneficiary should complete a separate claim form. For Columbus Life claims, call 1-800-677-9595 (Mon-Fri 8am-4:45pm ET); Columbus Life pays benefit within seven business days once approved. For Gerber Life claims, call 1-800-628-0560 (Mon-Fri 8am-7pm ET) or mail to Gerber Life Insurance Company Life Claims Processing Unit, 445 State Street, Fremont, MI 49412.
Prepare your letter of instruction to Western & Southern
Western & Southern asks for a letter of instruction alongside its claim form. We prepare a transmittal cover letter and the enclosure checklist Western & Southern requires.
Build your letter of instructionExpected timelines at Western & Southern: A few business days after all required documentation is received; claims involving contestability or foreign death may take longer. Delays are almost always caused by incomplete paperwork—gathering all required documents before filing the initial claim helps avoid back-and-forth.
Western & Southern requires several documents to process a claim, including Completed Death Benefit Claim form (DO-1592-L), Certified copy of the death certificate, and Government-issued ID for beneficiary or trustee, 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
An ILIT is created when you transfer ownership of a life insurance policy to an irrevocable trust. The trust owns the policy, and the trustee manages it while the insured is alive. When the insured dies, the death benefit is paid to the trust and distributed according to its terms. Because the trust owns the policy, the death benefit is generally excluded from the insured's taxable estate. The grantor loses ownership and control over the policy once transferred. Use the Ownership Change Request form (WSLAC Absolute Assignment) to transfer ownership. Permanent life insurance such as whole life or universal life is preferred for ILITs because term policies may expire before the insured's death.
Western & Southern Life offers six payment options: (1) Lump Sum Check -- one-time payment as a check; (2) Lump Sum to W&S Life Account -- single payment deposited into a W&S Life Account in your name (available for amounts $10,000 or higher, administered by The Northern Trust Company, earning interest at 0.10%); (3) Installment Income -- payments made monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually for 5-30 years or for a specific dollar amount, with unpaid balance earning interest; (4) Interest Income -- interest earned on the benefit paid in regular intervals (monthly, quarterly, semi-annual, or annual); (5) Interest Accumulation -- proceeds held and earning interest with full or partial withdrawals available at any time; (6) Life Income No Refund -- proceeds and interest used to provide income for your lifetime, with payments stopping at death. Life insurance death benefit proceeds are generally exempt from federal income tax.
For Gerber Life claims, call 1-800-628-0560 (Mon-Fri 8am-7pm ET) to request a claim form. Mail completed claims to Gerber Life Insurance Company Life Claims Processing Unit, 445 State Street, Fremont, MI 49412. For Columbus Life claims, call 1-800-677-9595 (Mon-Fri 8am-4:45pm ET). Both Gerber Life and Columbus Life are subsidiaries of Western & Southern Financial Group, but each has its own claims process and contact information.
To transfer ownership to an Irrevocable Life Insurance Trust (ILIT), complete the Ownership Change Request form (WSLAC Absolute Assignment), available from your financial representative or by calling 1-866-832-7719. Submit the completed form along with a copy of the trust document or Certificate of Trust to Western & Southern Life at 400 Broadway, Cincinnati, OH 45202-3341. Once transferred, the grantor loses ownership and control over the policy. The trustee manages the policy and oversees distribution of the death benefit to trust beneficiaries.
No. Western & Southern's subsidiary insurers each operate their own claims process and must be contacted separately. Western & Southern Life Insurance Company claims go to 1-800-926-1315 (P.O. Box 1399, Cincinnati, OH 45273-9425). Columbus Life claims go to 1-800-677-9595. Gerber Life claims go to 1-800-628-0560 (Gerber Life Insurance Company Life Claims Processing Unit, 445 State Street, Fremont, MI 49412). Lafayette Life and Integrity Life / National Integrity Life each have separate claims channels through their distribution networks. The W&S Life Claims Department cannot process a claim on a Columbus Life or Gerber Life policy.
Western & Southern Life processes death claims within a few business days after all required documentation is received. To initiate, call the Claims Department at 1-800-926-1315 -- a policy number is not required, as the team can locate policies by name, date of birth, or Social Security number. Submit the completed Death Benefit Claim form (DO-1592-L-2502) and a certified death certificate by email to claimform@westernsouthern.com or by mail to P.O. Box 1399, Cincinnati, OH 45273-9425. Claims involving contestability or foreign death may take longer.
Western & Southern's Western & Southern Life Claims Department can be reached by phone at 1-800-926-1315 and email at claimform@westernsouthern.com for questions throughout the claims process.
If the deceased held multiple Western & Southern policies, each may require a separate claim or have different documentation requirements. The Western & Southern Life Claims Department can confirm which accounts require individual attention and which can be processed together.
Sources
Data sourced from Western & Southern primary sources (23 pages reviewed). How we research.
400 Broadway, Cincinnati, OH 45202-3341. Claims mailing: P.O. Box 1399, Cincinnati, OH 45273-9425
Western & Southern Life Claims Department
400 Broadway, Cincinnati, OH 45202-3341. Claims mailing: P.O. Box 1399, Cincinnati, OH 45273-9425
Western & Southern Life Claims Department
Western and Southern Life Insurance Company Claims Department, P.O. Box 1399, Cincinnati, OH 45273-9425
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