How Does Life Insurance Work When Someone Dies? 
When the insured of a life insurance policy dies , the primary beneficiary -LRB- ies -RRB- of the policy can make a claim on the death benefit . To file a claim , the carrier will generally require a claim form and a copy of the death certificate of the insured before they can pay the proceeds of the policy - some carriers may have additional requirements , varies by company . The beneficiary will generally have a couple of options on how to receive the benefits including being delivered a check for the amount or the carrier setting up a savings account with the proceeds for you to withdraw from at your leisure . 