Life Beneficiary Assistance

• Maintaining your own wellness during a period of significant loss is an important part of successfully moving through this difficult period.
• Reaching out to family and friends for support can be helpful, along with professional resources when needed.
• Check with both your own employer as well as the deceased's to find out about any support programs they may provide. If either your or the deceased’s employer have coverage with MetLife, you may have access to services such as grief counseling.
• Find more information about bereavement here.
• If you or a loved one are having thoughts of suicide or self-harm you can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or find out more about the services and support they can offer you at their website.

If funeral preplanning or final wishes were considered, there may be documents located with the deceased's important papers or on their computer that can assist you in making final arrangements.

As planning a funeral isn't a process most people have to complete frequently, it can be overwhelming. Reviewing available consumer information can help with confident decision making:

• Funerals: A Consumer Guide
• Dignity Memorial (the nation’s largest provider of funeral, cremation and cemetery service.)
• National Funeral Directors Association: Remembering a Life
• Planning a Veteran Funeral
• Federal assistance for COVID-19 related deaths

Reaching out to family and friends to help provide support can be critical as elderly parents, children and/or pets may need care and temporary accommodations while any immediate planning needs are being addressed.

Check with your or the deceased’s employer for any support programs and resources they may offer. If either your or the deceased’s employer have coverage with MetLife, you may have access to services such as funeral assistance and discounts.

In the days that follow the funeral, matters turn to settling the deceased’s estate. Begin by going through records and any written guidance the deceased may have provided prior to their passing. If a will and/or trust is not found in the deceased's important papers at home, check any safe deposit boxes or with their attorney or financial advisor.

If you are the executor of the estate, check with either your employer or the employer of the deceased about estate resolution services that may be made available to you.

If you are working with a funeral home, they can assist you in obtaining certified copies of the death certificate. Alternatively, you can request them from the county/state where the death took place or through a third-party vendor. You will most likely need 10 to 12 certified copies of the death certificate. Original certified death certificates may be required by multiple third parties, including banks, credit agencies, social media account providers, mortgage lenders, and insurance companies.

Please accept our sincere condolences during this difficult time. We’re here to support you throughout the process.

• What should I did if I need to file a life insurance claim? Please contact the Sysco Benefits Center at 800 55-SYSCO,  to notify them of the insureds death and request the claim be submitted to MetLife.
• What happens once MetLife receives notification from Sysco Benefits Center? Once MetLife receives the claim from Sysco, a claim kit will be mailed to the beneficiary within 7-10 business days. The beneficiary(ies) are to complete the claim form you received in the claim kit provided and send to MetLife via mail, fax, email or complete the claim form online. Please see Frequently Asked Questions below for more details.
• Please see below for additional questions about the life claim process:

Additional Frequently Asked Questions

1. Where do I submit my life claimant statement to?
Mail:
MetLife Group Life Claims
P.O. Box 6100Scranton, PA 18505-6100
Fax: -1-570-558-8645
Email: lifeclaimsubmit@metlife.com
Online: www.metlife.com/lifeclaims

2. How can I receive updates on the status of my claim?
You have the option on your claim form to elect electronic status via text or email. You may also call us at 1-800-638-6420, Prompt 2 to check on the status.

3. Do I need to obtain an original death certificate?
No. You can send in a copy of a death certificate, which can be obtained from the funeral home, in most cases. If the death occurs outside of the United States, then the original death certificate is required.

4. What other documents will I be required to submit to MetLife?
In general, we require a copy of a death certificate and complete claim form. Your claim package will outline the required documents. If we need additional information, we will reach out to you.

5. Can MetLife pay the funeral home directly?
If you are the named beneficiary, the funeral home can provide you with an assignment form which will allow MetLife to pay them directly. The assignment form should be submitted with the life claimant statement.

6. What if my claim is for someone who has passed away outside of the United States?
Because the death occurred outside of the United States, you’ll have to mail the original death certificate and documents that include the cause and manner of death to the address on your claim form.

7. What if I am representing a beneficiary who is a minor?
If you are representing a minor, you’ll need a court certificate that specifies who was appointed as guardian of the minor’s property or estate. If unavailable, the funds can be held at MetLife in a minor on deposit interest-bearing account, until the minor reaches the age of majority in your state, or until you can provide that court certificate.

8. What if I am representing an estate?
If you are representing an estate, you’ll need some additional documentation that can be obtained from probate court. This may include court certificate papers that list the appointed administrator or executor of the estate, and a tax identification number. For smaller estates, all that’s needed is a small estate affidavit or a summary of the administration.

9. What if I am representing a trust?
If you are representing a trust, you’ll need to complete the certification of trust form that you will receive in the life claim packet.

10. Once I have submitted my group life claim, how can I contact MetLife if I have questions?
You can contact us at 1-800-638-6420, Prompt 2.

11.  What are the available hours at MetLife to contact Group Life Claims?
Our Customer Service Center is open Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET, and Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET.

Check with the deceased's employer as well as your own to find out about any other support services that may help you through the grieving process and the financial and legal aspects of settling the estate. If either your or the deceased’s employer have coverage with MetLife, you may have access to services such as funeral assistance and discounts.

If the deceased was living alone, and no one is staying in their home, the homeowner’s insurance carrier should be notified that the house is vacant and the name on the policy adjusted as appropriate.

• What is a Viatical Assignment?

When a Viatical Assignment is made, a viator (i.e., an assignor who is a terminally or chronically ill insured) assigns his/her coverage to a viatical settlement provider for an advance payment, to a viator, of an amount less than his/her benefit.

• Can coverage be assigned as a gift to someone?

Yes, coverage can be assigned as a gift. The assignor should consult with his/her personal legal or tax advisor.

• Does MetLife permit an assignor to make an absolute assignment for Group Term coverage as collateral for a loan or to a funeral home or nursing home?

No. With the exception of viatical assignments, MetLife does not permit collateral assignments or assignments for value, as the coverage has no cash value. Since assignments to funeral homes or nursing homes are considered collateral assignments, they are not permitted. However, the employee may generally name a funeral home or nursing home as the beneficiary. With limited exceptions, a beneficiary can execute a funeral home assignment following the death of the insured.

• What is the 3 year lookback or contemplation of death rule?

An absolute assignment generally will be effective to exclude the insurance death proceeds from the assignor’s gross estate for federal tax purposes if the assignor survives for 3 years after the assignment. If the assignor should die within 3 years after making an absolute assignment, the full amount of the death proceeds generally will be included in the assignor’s estate for federal tax purposes.

Note: Considering the irrevocability of an absolute assignment and in view of other important personal and legal matters, including a number of tax implications, an assignor who is contemplating making an absolute assignment of Group Term Life insurance should first consult his/her personal legal or tax advisor. The AM/CSC must not provide legal or tax advice to any assignor.

• May an insured make an absolute assignment to his/her employer?

No, an insured may not make an absolute assignment to his/her employer.

• Is the Accelerated Benefits Option (ABO) available once benefits are assigned?

If an insured has ABO, but has already assigned the coverage, neither the insured nor the assignee can exercise his/her ABO option. However, once the ABO has been approved, the insured may assign all or any part of the remaining benefit.

Contact the Social Security Administration, IRS and, if applicable, Veteran's Affairs, to review eligibility for survivor benefits and other important information for surviving family members:

• Social Security Administration – Survivor Benefits
• How Social Security Can Help You When a Family Member Dies
• IRS: Deceased Taxpayers – Protecting the Deceased’s Identity from ID Theft
• U.S Department of Veterans Affairs - VA benefits for spouses, dependents, survivors, and family caregivers
• VA Survivors Pension

Help prevent identity theft.

Notify at least one of the three nationwide credit bureaus to report the death and obtain a copy of the deceased's credit report as needed for estate settlement purposes. Whichever credit bureau receives the notification will inform the other two. You can use this form to help with this notification.

• Experian: Reporting Death of a Relative
• Transunion: Reporting the Death of a Loved One to Transunion
• Equifax: After a relative’s death, do I need to contact each nationwide credit bureau?

In addition, you can use this template to report the death to other financial institutions.

Notify credit card issuers of the deceased's passing as soon as possible to avoid possible fees and additional interest being charged to accounts.

Identify any automated services such as grocery and pet supply delivery, housekeeping and lawn care services, recreational or personal memberships and subscriptions and check websites for cancelation procedures.

You can have the deceased’s name added to the Direct Marketing Association’s Do Not Contact List to avoid receiving ongoing marketing materials addressed to the deceased.

Direct Marketing Association

If the deceased’s pets are not able to be adopted by family or friends, and if there was no pet preplanning completed, you may contact local rescue resources to assist with rehoming.  Here are some resources to help with considerations.

• Estate Planning with Dogs and Cats
• American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)

Check social media sites for procedures to either close or memorialize accounts:

Facebook: How do I request the removal of a deceased family member's Facebook account?

Twitter: How to contact Twitter about a deceased family member's account

Instagram: Removal Request for Deceased Person on Instagram

LinkedIn: Request removal of a deceased member’s LinkedIn profile

Email providers can assist with options available to close accounts and obtain data from them, if needed.

Google:  Submit a request regarding a deceased user’s account

Yahoo:  Options available if a Yahoo Account owner passes away

Microsoft email services such as Outlook.com and Hotmail:  Accessing Outlook.com, OneDrive and other Microsoft services when someone has died

It is important to close the deceased's digital footprint; failure to close accounts can leave doors open to identity theft. Especially important are financial services accounts such as PayPal and Venmo that may be linked to bank accounts and credit cards.

PayPal: How do I close the PayPal account of a deceased relative?

Venmo: Contact us

Check credit card and bank statements for subscriptions, membership fees and third party services that may be automatically charged on a regular basis.

Every situation is unique and there may be additional steps needed for your particular circumstance. There may be other individuals or institutions you need to contact such as landlords, foreign pension providers, etc. You may wish to consult with your own financial, tax or legal advisors.

Your financial wellness is an important part of your wellbeing and there may be changes that result from the loss you've experienced. MyMoney.gov provides financial education from the Department of Treasury and may assist you on your journey forward.

If the life insurance company providing you with a benefit payment offers the option of payment through an interest-bearing settlement account, this option can provide a secure place for the proceeds to stay and gather interest. This allows you to take the time you need to decide how to use the funds without the worry of making financial decisions while grieving for a loved one. It can also provide a flexible payment tool as it functions similarly to a money market or checking account.

MetLife’s interest-bearing life insurance and annuity benefits payment account for beneficiaries is called TCA (Total Control Account)¹. There are no monthly maintenance or service fees² and no charges for making withdrawals. Accountholders have immediate access to their TCA funds and they start earning interest on day one that the account is established.

Your financial life will most likely require review and updates after the death of a spouse, parent or other member of your household. You can download the Beneficiary Task List which contains to-dos for not only the deceased’s estate, but for your own family and financial wellness considerations. These include review of retirement accounts, beneficiary changes, etc.