AXA is one of the world’s largest insurance groups, and in the UK it covers millions of car, home, travel, and business insurance policies as well as life insurance and private health insurance through its AXA Health subsidiary. If the person who died held any AXA product, their policy does not automatically stop – you need to notify AXA directly, and the process differs depending on which product type is involved.
This guide covers every major AXA product: how to make contact, what to have ready, what happens to each policy, and the things that catch executors and families out. If you are working through notifications with several organisations at once, our guide to notifying companies after a death covers banks, utilities, government departments, and other insurers.
Quick reference:
- Car insurance: 0330 024 1158, Monday–Friday 8am–8pm; Saturday 9am–5pm
- Home insurance: 0330 024 1235, Monday–Friday 8am–8pm; Saturday 9am–5pm
- AXA Health (private health insurance): 0800 917 9468, Monday–Friday 9am–5pm
- AXA bereavement support page: axa.co.uk/additional-support/bereavement
- AXA Health bereavement page: axahealth.co.uk/health-insurance/members/services/bereavement
Source: AXA UK bereavement support, verified May 2026; AXA Health contact us, verified May 2026.
How to notify AXA of a death
AXA does not have a single bereavement number that covers all its products. Their general insurance business (car, home, travel) and their private health business (AXA Health) operate under different brands and contact teams. You will need to make separate contacts depending on what the deceased held.
Car insurance
Call 0330 024 1158. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am–8pm, and Saturday 9am–5pm. AXA’s bereavement team for car insurance can be reached on this number and will walk you through the options – whether to cancel the policy, maintain cover if a named driver needs to keep using the vehicle, or arrange a 30-day temporary extension while you sort out the estate.
Home insurance
Call 0330 024 1235. Lines are open Monday to Friday 8am–8pm, and Saturday 9am–5pm. If the property will be occupied by a joint policyholder, spouse, or family member, AXA will discuss options for continuing the policy. If the property will be unoccupied, AXA can extend cover to the renewal date, but with certain exclusions – notably theft, vandalism, and water damage – so check the terms carefully and consider specialist unoccupied property cover for a prolonged estate administration period.
AXA Health (private health insurance)
AXA Health is a separate brand operating at axahealth.co.uk. For bereavement notifications, call 0800 917 9468, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. You can also contact them in writing at: AXA Health, International House, Forest Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent, TN2 5FE. An online notification form is available on their website.
If the deceased was covered through a company health scheme rather than a personal membership, the employer’s HR team will typically handle the notification to AXA Health on your behalf – though it is worth confirming this with the employer.
Source: AXA Health bereavement support, verified May 2026.
Travel insurance
AXA underwrites a large volume of UK travel insurance, including policies sold under its own brand and through comparison sites. Travel insurance contact details may appear directly on the policy documents. For AXA-branded travel insurance, check your policy schedule for the correct number, or contact AXA through their main contact page at axa.co.uk/contact-us. If the policy was arranged through a travel agent or comparison site, the contact details may relate to that intermediary rather than AXA directly.
Life insurance
AXA has historically offered life insurance in the UK, though in recent years AXA’s UK life insurance portfolio has largely transitioned through various acquisitions. If the deceased had a life insurance policy with “AXA” on the documents, call 0330 024 1158 and ask to be directed to the life insurance bereavement team. They will confirm whether the policy is still administered by AXA or whether it has transferred to another provider, and will give you the appropriate contact details if so.
For all products: what to say when you call
When you ring, AXA will ask to verify your identity and your relationship to the deceased. For privacy reasons, they can only discuss policies with the policyholder’s spouse or partner, next of kin, executor, or an alternative contact previously authorised on the account. You do not need to have all the paperwork to hand before you call – the team will tell you exactly what they need and how to send it.
What documents you’ll need
The documents required vary by product type, but the death certificate is central to everything.
| Document | When needed |
|---|---|
| Death certificate (original or certified copy) | All notifications |
| Policy number(s) | All products – on insurance documents or renewal letters |
| Deceased’s full name, date of birth, and address | All notifications |
| Vehicle registration number | Car insurance |
| Grant of probate or letters of administration | Life insurance claims forming part of the estate; may also be required by AXA Health for larger claims |
About death certificates: The death certificate is issued by the register office after you have registered the death. If a coroner’s inquest is pending, an interim death certificate can usually be used to start the process, though AXA may need to wait for the final certificate before closing some accounts.
Order more certified copies than you think you need. Each organisation typically requires its own copy – you cannot pass one copy from institution to institution. If the deceased held multiple AXA products plus accounts elsewhere, ordering four to six copies at registration is a sensible starting point. Source: gov.uk – register a death.
About probate: Probate (or, in Scotland, confirmation from the Sheriff Court) is the legal process that gives an executor authority to deal with an estate. AXA may require sight of a grant of probate before releasing life insurance proceeds that form part of the estate, particularly where the value is significant. For general insurance – car, home, travel – probate is not usually required. Source: gov.uk – applying for probate.
What happens to each product
Car insurance
The deceased’s car insurance policy remains technically in force after death until AXA is notified and the policy is formally cancelled or transferred. The car should not be driven by someone who was not previously named on the policy without first checking the position with AXA.
When you call, AXA will present the options based on your circumstances:
- If there is a named driver on the policy who needs to continue using the vehicle (a spouse, for example), AXA can discuss whether the cover can be maintained or transferred.
- If no one needs to drive the car, AXA will cancel the policy and calculate any refund for the unused portion of the premium, minus any applicable administration charge.
- If no named driver remains, AXA can provide a 30-day temporary extension while you arrange alternative cover or resolve the vehicle as part of the estate.
A no-claims discount belonging to the deceased is not transferable to another person’s policy, but if you are dealing with the estate’s vehicle, ask AXA about their process for documenting it.
Source: AXA UK bereavement support – car insurance, verified May 2026.
Home insurance
The home insurance position depends on who will be in the property and for how long.
- If a joint policyholder, spouse, or close family member occupies the property, AXA can continue the policy – they will discuss updating the policyholder name and any relevant terms.
- If the property will be unoccupied, AXA can maintain cover to the next renewal date, but specific exclusions apply – typically theft, vandalism, and water damage. Standard home insurance cover is reduced for unoccupied properties, and a prolonged estate administration period may leave the property exposed.
If the estate is likely to take several months to administer and the property will remain empty, consider whether specialist unoccupied property insurance is needed alongside or instead of the existing AXA policy. Contact AXA on 0330 024 1235 to discuss what the current policy covers in an unoccupancy situation before arranging anything else.
Source: AXA UK bereavement support – home insurance, verified May 2026.
AXA Health (private health insurance)
When a member of an AXA Health policy dies, the policy needs to be cancelled and any refund for unused premium calculated. Call 0800 917 9468 (Monday–Friday, 9am–5pm).
For personal membership plans, the executor or next of kin contacts AXA Health directly. You will need the deceased’s name, membership number if available, and a death certificate. AXA Health may request a grant of probate for certain financial settlements.
For company membership plans (employer-arranged health insurance), the employer is typically responsible for notifying AXA Health, rather than the family. Check whether the deceased’s employer has been informed and is handling the administrative side.
AXA Health also offers a bereavement support programme for members and their families, including access to bereavement counsellors and an Employee Assistance Service for those covered through a company scheme. Source: AXA Health bereavement support, verified May 2026.
Travel insurance
If the deceased held a travel insurance policy that had not yet expired, contact AXA (or the relevant underwriter if the policy was arranged through a third party) to cancel it and recover any unused premium.
If travel was booked and a trip had not yet taken place at the time of death, the estate may be entitled to a cancellation refund under the policy terms. If a surviving spouse or family member had a trip booked and wishes to make a cancellation claim for their own losses, this will depend on the specific policy wording – check the documents or ask AXA directly when you call.
Life insurance
AXA’s UK life insurance business has been through several ownership changes in recent years. Policies originally issued by AXA Life UK may now be administered by other providers. Check the policy schedule for the administrator’s name and contact details. If the documents show “AXA” without further detail, call 0330 024 1158 and ask to be directed to the correct team – they can confirm who currently administers the policy and provide the right contact.
A dedicated life insurance section covering the full claim process is below.
Life insurance claims in detail
If the deceased held a life insurance policy with AXA (or a policy that was originally issued by AXA), the claims process involves a formal application rather than simply a cancellation.
Starting a claim
Call 0330 024 1158 to notify the AXA bereavement team. They will confirm who administers the policy and initiate the claim process, sending you the relevant claim forms. Provide the deceased’s full name, date of birth, address, and date of death. A policy number helps, but the team can locate policies without one using the deceased’s personal details.
Who receives the payout?
How the life insurance payout is distributed depends on whether the policy was held in trust:
Policy held in trust: The payout goes directly to the trustees, who then distribute it to the named beneficiaries. This happens outside the estate, which means:
- No need to wait for probate
- The money is typically available faster
- The payout is outside the estate for inheritance tax purposes
Look for a trust deed or assignment form among the deceased’s papers. If you are unsure whether the policy was in trust, ask AXA when you call – they will be able to confirm.
Policy not held in trust (sole policyholder): The payout forms part of the estate. It can only be distributed after probate is granted (or, in Scotland, confirmation from the Sheriff Court). In England and Wales, straightforward probate applications currently take an average of around 16 weeks. Source: gov.uk/applying-for-probate.
Joint life policy: If the policy was a joint life first-death policy, the payout typically goes to the surviving policyholder.
For a broader explanation of how life insurance works at death – including trust policies, nomination forms, and inheritance tax implications – see our guide on what happens to life insurance when someone dies.
Documents for a life insurance claim
Once AXA has registered the notification, they will send you a claim form and advise exactly what supporting evidence they need. Typically this includes:
- Original death certificate (or a certified copy)
- Completed claim form
- Grant of probate or letters of administration (if the payout forms part of the estate)
- Depending on the circumstances: birth certificate, medical information, or details about the cause of death
How long does it take?
Timeline varies significantly depending on the product and how complete the paperwork is from the outset.
| Product | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| Car insurance cancellation | Confirmed promptly on notification; refund within a few weeks |
| Home insurance cancellation | Confirmed promptly on notification; refund within a few weeks |
| AXA Health cancellation | Policy cancelled and refund processed once notification is confirmed |
| Travel insurance cancellation | Confirmed promptly; any refund calculated on unused premium |
| Life insurance (policy in trust) | Once claim is approved and documents received – can be within days for straightforward cases |
| Life insurance (not in trust) | Depends on probate – average 16+ weeks from probate application in England and Wales |
The most common cause of delay is incomplete documentation. Providing the death certificate, policy number, and any trust deed or probate documents as early as possible gives the claim the best chance of moving quickly.
Things to watch out for
AXA general insurance and AXA Health are separate. Notifying AXA car insurance does not alert AXA Health. If the deceased held products across both brands, you need to contact each one separately.
AXA’s UK life insurance has changed hands. AXA sold much of its UK life insurance business in recent years. A policy with “AXA” on the front may now be administered by a different company. Always call the number on the policy documents first, or call AXA’s main line and ask them to confirm the current administrator.
Check whether the life insurance was held in trust. A policy held in trust bypasses probate entirely, potentially saving months and keeping the payout outside the estate for inheritance tax purposes. This is worth checking even before you have all the paperwork – just ask AXA directly.
Auto-renewal on car and home insurance. AXA policies renew automatically. If the deceased’s policy is approaching its renewal date and you have not yet notified AXA, a further premium may be charged to the estate’s bank account. Notify AXA as soon as possible to prevent this.
Unoccupied property risk. If the home will be empty during estate administration, standard home insurance typically reduces cover for properties left unoccupied for more than 30–60 days. The AXA bereavement team will tell you exactly what the current policy covers – but plan ahead if the estate is likely to be complex.
AXA Health company schemes. If the deceased’s private health insurance was through their employer, the employer handles notification to AXA Health. Confirm with HR that this has been done rather than assuming it has.
Heritage policies. If the deceased held an AXA policy that appears to pre-date 2010, or carries an unusual format policy number, ask AXA directly whether it is still administered by them or whether it has been migrated to another provider.
If you are also notifying other major insurers, our guides to notifying Aviva when someone dies, notifying Direct Line when someone dies, notifying NFU Mutual when someone dies, and notifying LV= when someone dies cover their respective bereavement processes.
Summary
AXA covers a wide range of products, and each has a separate contact route. For car insurance, call 0330 024 1158 (Monday–Friday 8am–8pm, Saturday 9am–5pm). For home insurance, call 0330 024 1235 (same hours). For AXA Health (private health insurance), call 0800 917 9468 (Monday–Friday 9am–5pm, free to call).
You do not need to have everything organised before you make the first call. AXA’s bereavement teams are experienced in guiding families through the process at each stage. Start with the most time-sensitive products – life insurance and any home insurance where the property may be at risk – and work through the others as you are ready.
For life insurance specifically: ask whether the policy was held in trust. If it was, the payout can be made directly to trustees without waiting for probate. If it was not, the payout forms part of the estate and probate will be needed first.
Keep a note of every call – the date, the name of the person you spoke with, and any reference number given. This creates a clear record if any questions arise later.