Life insurance claim

Be timely

We understand this can be a very difficult time. Please contact us as soon as you’re ready to file a claim so we can give you our best support.

Be thorough

Give us as much information as you can when you send us your claim form. Make sure to sign and date the forms you send us. 

How was the plan purchased?

Your first step is to contact the plan administrator of the policy. They'll let you know what next steps to take to submit your claim.

The plan administrator is usually the deceased's employer. If you're making a life claim for an eligible dependent, the plan administrator would be your employer. 

If you have questions after talking to the plan administrator, you can reach us at 1-800-361-2128. We're here to help.

What you need if you’re the beneficiary

When you contact the plan administrator, they’ll ask you for the cause of death, name and address of the funeral home handling the deceased’s final arrangements, and your contact information. They may also ask you to submit additional documents, such as:

  • A Claimant Statement. The employer can give you a copy of this form or you can download it here.
  • Proof of death. You’ll need to submit the original death certificate or a scanned copy.

What you need if the estate is the beneficiary

If the estate is the beneficiary on the policy, here’s what you’ll need:

  • The estate’s legal representative can complete the Claimant Statement, if required.
  • Depending on the benefit amount, we’ll also need the following:

If there's a will:

If the benefit amount is:

We need a notarized copy of:

Under $150,000

No will is required

$150,000 to $249,999

The will. You can send us the original or a scanned copy. 

$250,000 and above

The probated will. You can send us the original or a scanned copy. 

If there isn’t a will:

If there isn’t a will and your loved one was a resident of:

We need a notarized copy of:

Ontario

The Certificate of Appointment of Estate Trustee without a will. You can send us the original or a scanned copy.

Quebec

The Notarial Declaration of Heirs. You can send us the original or a scanned copy.

Any other province

The Letters of Administration. You can send us the original or a scanned copy.

Bereavement support

You may be eligible for bereavement support, provided through Empathy.

Empathy is complimentary for beneficiaries making a claim from a Sun Life workplace insurance plan – they, along with their families over 18 years of age and residing in Canada, will receive 24/7 access for up to two years. Empathy offers:

  • personalized plans to guide you, step-by-step, through things like funeral planning and estate and account settlement,
  • grief resources to help with difficult days and challenging emotions, and
  • confidential, one-on-one support and guidance.

We’ll send more information about Empathy when you send us your claim. You can also contact the employer or plan administrator or call us at 1-800-361-2128 option 6.

Learn more about Empathy

Where to send your claim

You can email your Claimant Statement and supporting documents to group.life.claims@sunlife.com. If you choose to send your information by email, we can’t guarantee the privacy or security of email communications while they’re on their way to us.

Or, you can mail them to us at:

Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada
Attention: Group Life Claims
1155 Metcalfe
Montreal, QC
H3B 2V9

Right now, we offer claim payments by cheque only.

Group benefits are provided by Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, a member of the Sun Life group of companies.

NOTE: If you're still unsure about next steps after reading these instructions, please connect with the policy administrator (usually your loved one's employer). If you're making a life claim for a dependent, the policy administrator would be your employer.

* This bereavement support service is provided by Empathy and is available to eligible Sun Life beneficiaries aged 18+ years and residing in Canada. Sun Life may modify access to or discontinue offering the service at any time.

You can speak with the advisor who worked out the details of your loved one’s insurance policy. Give them a call if you want any help.

Need to find the advisor’s email or phone number? Go to Find an advisor and search by their last name.

Can’t reach the advisor? Please follow these steps to submit your claim.

Step 1. Contact us

Please call us at 1-877-786-5433, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET to let us know about your loss.

 We’ll start by asking you for basic information:

  • Full name of the insured person
  • Policy number
  • Date of birth of the insured person
  • Date of passing
  • Country of passing
  • Cause of death
  • Funeral home name, address, and phone number
  • Your name
  • Your relationship to the insured person
  • Your address, email, and phone number

Step 2. Confirm if we need more information

Once we’ve confirmed the basic information for your claim, we’ll let you know if we need anything else. Depending on your policy, we may be able to review your claim without needing a Claimant Statement form or proof of death.

If we do need more information, an advisor will connect with you to help. If you have questions, you can also call us at 1-877-786-5433, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. 

Step 3.  Send us your claim information

Please keep a copy of the documents you send us for your records. If you need to send medical details for your claim, your doctor can send us the information directly.

You can send us your information using one of these options:

Fax:
1-866-487-4745

Mail:
Sun Life
227 King St S
PO Box 1601 Station
Waterloo, ON
N2J 4C5

Sun Code: 300A50

Courier:
Sun Life
227 King St S
Waterloo, ON
N2J 4C5

Sun Code: 300A50

Step 4. Our review

After we receive the information we need, we’ll start our review of your claim. We may also reach out for further information if we need it. You can ask your advisor for an update on your claim or send them more information any time during our review.

You can also call us at 1-877-786-5433, Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. We’re here to help.

Step 5. The claim decision 

If we approve the claim, we’ll make the payment by electronic funds transfer (EFT) or by cheque, depending on what you choose on your Claimant statement form. If you’d like your payment by EFT, include a void cheque with your Claimant statement form.

If we don’t approve the claim:

  • We’ll send you a letter with a detailed explanation about our decision, including any relevant medical information.
  • If you choose to appeal our decision, we’ll give you next steps. 
  • You’ll have 90 days to send us new information. Please note that you may be charged a fee to send us new medical information.

Bereavement support

You may be eligible for bereavement support, provided through Empathy.

Empathy is provided at no additional cost for beneficiaries of Sun Life life insurance claims. They, along with their families over 18 years of age and residing in Canada, may receive 24/7 access for up to two years. Empathy offers:

  • personalized plans to guide you, step-by-step, through things like funeral planning and estate and account settlement,
  •  grief resources to help with difficult days and challenging emotions, and
  • confidential, one-on-one support and guidance.

To learn more about to Empathy, contact your advisor or call us at 1-877-786-5433.

Learn more about Empathy

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