Sun Life is one of the UK’s best-known names in later life financial products – over-50s life cover, funeral plans, and equity release. If the person who has died held a Sun Life policy, you will need to notify them and start a claim, and the process varies depending on which product they held.
This guide explains how to contact Sun Life, what documents to gather, what happens to each type of policy, and what to watch out for. Sun Life’s products serve people at a particular stage of life, which means many families coming to them are dealing with this for the first time. The aim here is to make that process clear.
Quick reference:
- Main claims and bereavement line: 0800 008 6060, Monday–Friday 8am–8pm (free to call)
- Funeral plan activation: contact the funeral provider directly (see below)
- Online claims: sunlife.co.uk/contact-us/claims
If you need to notify other organisations too – banks, utilities, pension providers, government departments – our guide to notifying companies after a death covers the full picture.
How to notify Sun Life of a death
Call 0800 008 6060 to reach Sun Life’s UK claims centre. Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm. The number is free from UK landlines and mobiles. If you are calling from outside the UK, use +44 (0) 1733 79 33 44.
You can also write to: SunLife, PO Box 1395, Peterborough, PE2 2TR.
For most policies – including the Guaranteed Over 50 Plan and the Guaranteed Inheritance Plan – Sun Life also offers an online claim form at sunlife.co.uk/death-claim, which lets you submit the claim and upload documents without having to call.
What to have ready before you call
You do not need everything in order before making first contact – Sun Life’s team will guide you through what they need. But having the following to hand speeds things up:
| Information needed | Details |
|---|---|
| Deceased’s full name and date of birth | Standard identification |
| Policy number | On any welcome letters, policy schedules, or annual statements |
| Date of death | Required for the claim |
| Your name, relationship, and contact details | Sun Life will correspond with you |
| Whether there is a will | Affects how the estate is administered |
If you cannot find a policy number, Sun Life can search their records by the deceased’s name and date of birth – do not delay calling just because you have not found the paperwork.
One call, one policy
Unlike some large financial groups, Sun Life’s products share a single claims number. One call covers all Sun Life policies. However, if the deceased held a funeral plan through Sun Life, that is handled differently – by the funeral provider, not Sun Life directly. See the funeral plan section below.
What documents you will need
The documents required depend slightly on the policy type, but the core list is the same across Sun Life products.
Required for all claims:
- Original death certificate – issued by the register office after you have registered the death. Sun Life requires the original; they will return it once reviewed.
- Policy schedule and endorsements – the original policy documents sent when the plan was set up.
- Claimant identification – your name and evidence that you are entitled to make the claim (for example, as the named beneficiary, executor, or next of kin).
- Policyholder’s name and date of birth – to confirm the identity of the person who has died.
Also required (where applicable):
- Copy of the will – if the deceased left a will, Sun Life will need to see it.
- Bank account details – Sun Life pays claims by direct bank transfer, so you will need to provide the account number and sort code you want the payment made to.
If any document is unavailable – for example, if the will cannot be located, or the policy documents have been lost – contact Sun Life’s claims team directly. They will advise on alternatives.
For interim death certificates: if the deceased died in circumstances that triggered a coroner’s investigation, an interim death certificate will be issued before the inquest concludes. Sun Life may be able to begin processing the claim with the interim certificate, though the final payment may be held until the inquest is complete. Confirm this when you call.
What happens to the policy
Guaranteed Over 50 Plan
The Guaranteed Over 50 Plan is Sun Life’s main life insurance product for people aged 50 to 85. It pays a fixed cash lump sum when the policyholder dies, provided the plan has been running for at least two years (if the policyholder dies within the first two years of taking out the plan, Sun Life returns the premiums paid rather than the full sum assured, unless death was accidental).
The lump sum is paid to whoever is named as the claimant – typically the next of kin or the executor of the estate. For a broader explanation of how life insurance works at death, see our guide on what happens to life insurance when someone dies.
Trust vs non-trust:
Whether the policy was written in a trust makes a significant difference to the speed of payout and its tax treatment.
- Written in trust: The payout goes directly to the trustees, who can distribute it to the named beneficiaries without waiting for probate. This is the fastest route, and the money is generally outside the deceased’s estate for inheritance tax purposes. The trustees use the trust deed to claim directly from Sun Life.
- Not written in trust: The payout forms part of the deceased’s estate. It can still be paid to the beneficiaries, but must wait for the estate administration process – which, if probate is required, can take months. The amount may also be subject to inheritance tax if the estate exceeds the threshold.
Sun Life’s own terms state: “The amount paid on your death will normally form part of your estate, so may be subject to inheritance tax, unless you write your Plan subject to an appropriate trust.” Source: Sun Life Guaranteed Over 50 Plan terms and conditions, verified May 2026.
If you find a trust deed among the deceased’s papers, bring it to the call – or post it along with the other documents.
Guaranteed Inheritance Plan
The Guaranteed Inheritance Plan is a whole-of-life policy sold online only. Like the Over 50 Plan, it pays a lump sum on death, and the same trust vs non-trust rules apply. Contact 0800 008 6060 for claims on this policy.
Funeral Benefit Option
Some Sun Life over-50s plans include a Funeral Benefit Option – a provision that allows the lump sum to be used for the policyholder’s own funeral through one of Sun Life’s nominated funeral providers. If this option was selected, the sum goes directly to the funeral provider rather than to the family as cash. The providers are Dignity, Co-op Funeralcare, and Golden Charter. See the funeral plan section below for their contact details.
Activating a Sun Life funeral plan
Sun Life sells pre-paid funeral plans separately from their life insurance products. If the person who has died had a Sun Life funeral plan, you do not contact Sun Life directly – you contact their funeral provider.
Sun Life works with three funeral providers. Check the original plan documents to identify which provider was nominated:
| Provider | Phone | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Dignity | 0800 456 1047 | 24 hours a day, 7 days a week |
| Co-op Funeralcare | 0345 602 0075 | Mon–Fri 8am–9pm; Sat–Sun 9am–5pm |
| Golden Charter | 0800 171 2077 | Monday–Friday 9am–5pm |
Source: Sun Life funeral plan claims page, verified May 2026.
When you call, have the following ready:
- The policyholder’s name and address
- The Sun Life policy number (from the plan documents)
- The provider’s own reference number (on the original plan paperwork)
- The original death certificate
If you cannot identify the provider: call Sun Life’s main number (0800 008 6060) and they will confirm which provider holds the plan.
Cash sum funeral plans: Some older Sun Life funeral plans paid a cash sum rather than directly arranging the funeral. If the plan works this way, contact Sun Life’s main claims number – the process is the same as for the Over 50 Plan, and Sun Life pays the cash directly to you.
Important note on cash sum plans: Sun Life’s guidance states that with a cash sum plan, “there may be less back than was paid in” and the sum may be subject to inheritance tax if the policy is not written in trust. Source: Sun Life funeral plan claims page, verified May 2026.
Probate and the estate
Probate is the legal process that grants an executor the authority to administer a deceased person’s estate. Whether probate is required depends on the value and structure of the estate, not on Sun Life’s own rules.
If the Sun Life policy was written in trust: No probate is required for the payout. The trustees claim directly, and the money passes outside the estate.
If the policy was not written in trust: The payout becomes part of the estate. Whether probate is needed before Sun Life will pay out depends on the value of the estate and Sun Life’s assessment. For straightforward small estates, some insurers will pay without a formal grant – contact Sun Life to confirm their position for the specific policy.
As a general guide, probate is typically required in England and Wales when an estate includes property, or when the total value of assets held in the deceased’s sole name exceeds around £5,000 to £50,000 (thresholds vary by institution). Sun Life does not publish a specific probate threshold – ask when you call.
For a full walkthrough of the probate process, see our guides on how to apply for probate and how long probate takes. The probate process in England and Wales typically takes an average of 16 weeks for straightforward estates, though complex ones take longer. Source: gov.uk/applying-for-probate.
Inheritance tax: If the estate’s total value exceeds the nil-rate band (currently £325,000), inheritance tax may be due on the Sun Life payout if the policy was not in trust. The rate is 40% on the amount above the threshold. Source: gov.uk/inheritance-tax. If you are unsure whether the estate is liable, seek advice from a solicitor or the estate’s appointed executor before making the claim.
How long does it take?
Sun Life does not publish a specific processing time on their website, but the broad factors that affect timing are consistent with the life insurance industry generally.
| Situation | Typical timeline |
|---|---|
| Policy written in trust | Days to a few weeks once documents received |
| Policy not in trust, no probate needed | A few weeks once documents received |
| Policy not in trust, probate required | Dependent on probate – 16+ weeks from application |
| Funeral plan activation | Varies by provider; typically within days |
The single biggest cause of delay is incomplete documentation. If Sun Life has to request additional information after you have been in contact, each exchange adds time. Having the death certificate, policy schedule, and any trust deed ready when you first call keeps things moving.
Sun Life adds interest to the claim during the processing period at a rate of 0.5% per annum below the Bank of England base rate (minimum 0.5% per annum), so there is some financial compensation for delays. Source: Sun Life Guaranteed Over 50 Plan terms and conditions, verified May 2026.
Things to watch out for
The two-year waiting period on the Over 50 Plan. The Guaranteed Over 50 Plan does not pay the full sum assured if death occurs within the first two years of the policy starting – it pays back the premiums paid instead (unless death was accidental). Check the start date on the policy documents before assuming the full amount will be paid.
Check whether the policy was written in trust. This is the most significant factor in how quickly the money reaches the family and whether it is subject to inheritance tax. Look through the deceased’s papers for a trust deed – if one exists, it changes the process. If you are unsure, ask Sun Life directly.
Funeral Benefit Option vs funeral plan. Sun Life sells two different things: the Funeral Benefit Option (an add-on to the Over 50 Plan, where the payout goes to a specific funeral provider) and standalone funeral plans (pre-paid arrangements with a provider). These are handled differently. Read the policy documents carefully before calling.
The Cost of Dying. Sun Life publishes an annual report tracking the cost of dying in the UK. Their 2025 edition found the average funeral now costs £4,285 – up 134% since 2004. Only 38% of people set aside enough to cover the expense, and nearly 1 in 5 families experience financial difficulty as a result. Source: Sun Life Cost of Dying Report 2025. This context is worth knowing when dealing with Sun Life’s products – they were designed specifically to address this gap.
Inheritance tax on cash sum plans. If the funeral plan or Over 50 Plan pays a cash sum and the policy was not written in trust, that amount is added to the estate’s value for inheritance tax purposes. This catches some families by surprise.
No online bereavement portal for life policies. Unlike some large insurers, Sun Life does not have a separate online bereavement notification hub. The online claim form is available for the Over 50 Plan, but the main route is by phone or post. If you prefer to handle things online, use the claim form at sunlife.co.uk/death-claim.
Summary
To notify Sun Life of a death, call 0800 008 6060 (Monday to Friday, 8am to 8pm, free to call). Have the policy documents, the original death certificate, and the claimant’s bank details ready. If the deceased held a funeral plan, contact the funeral provider directly – Dignity (0800 456 1047), Co-op Funeralcare (0345 602 0075), or Golden Charter (0800 171 2077).
If the Over 50 Plan was written in trust, the payout can be made to the trustees without waiting for probate. If not, the payout forms part of the estate and may be subject to inheritance tax.
You are dealing with a lot of paperwork at a difficult time. Sun Life’s team handles bereavement enquiries regularly – call early, explain the situation, and they will tell you what they need.
If the deceased also held life insurance or a pension with another major insurer, our guide on how to notify Legal & General when someone dies covers their separate bereavement process. For Aviva life insurance, pensions, and investments, see our guide to notifying Aviva when someone dies. For Canada Life annuities and workplace group life cover, see our guide to notifying Canada Life when someone dies.