Finding and claiming forgotten life insurance in NZ

Written by Henry Smith · Reviewed by Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931) · Updated 2026-10-20 · Reviewed quarterly, when the underlying data is restated.

New Zealand has no single register of life insurance policies that we could find, so tracing one means working through a short list: the person's papers, their bank statements, the insurers they were likely to use, and Inland Revenue's unclaimed money list. The Insurance Council of NZ's home page describes a claims register for general insurance, not life insurance, and we found no service there that traces life policies. An executor or administrator, or a family member with the executor's agreement, does the searching and brings proof of authority.

An unclaimed life insurance policy is cover that was in force when the person died but that nobody has claimed, usually because the family did not know it existed. Money from a policy can reach Inland Revenue (IR) if the insurer cannot find who to pay: IR lists life insurance proceeds among the money it holds, treats money as unclaimed after about 5 years, and holds it for 20 years (Inland Revenue: Claiming unclaimed money; the life insurance listing is on Holders and types of money). Money reaches IR only after the organisation has had no contact with the customer for 5 years, so for a recent death the insurer is the place to ask first. This is general information as at 20 October 2026.

Step 1: look through the papers

Look for a policy schedule, a welcome letter, annual statements or emails from an insurer or adviser. Check the filing cabinet, email, the phone, and any safe-deposit or lawyer's file. If the person had an adviser, the adviser's records may show the insurer and policy number. If the person worked for a large employer, ask HR whether a group scheme existed; see workplace funeral support.

Step 2: read the bank statements

A policy that was being paid leaves a trail: a regular direct debit or card payment to an insurer or a bank. Go back through at least the last year of statements and look for payments to a life insurer, a bank's insurance arm or an adviser's trust account. Note the payee name exactly as printed. A policy whose payments stopped may have lapsed, and the insurer can tell you the position. If you need bank help generally, the bank's deceased estates team can start the process, and myTrove, a free service that says it covers 200 or more participating organisations including insurers, can notify them in one go without a New Zealand death certificate to start. It is a notification service, and we could not confirm it will uncover a policy nobody knew about.

Step 3: work out who sold it, and who holds it now

The name on an old statement can mislead, because many policies sold by banks and under older brands are now underwritten by someone else. What the insurers' and banks' own pages say:

If the statement or letter names	Look at	Source
ANZ	Chubb Life New Zealand is ANZ's life insurance partner; ANZ Life & Living has closed to new customers	ANZ
ASB	AIA New Zealand, which underwrites and administers ASB's life cover	ASB and AIA
BNZ	Partners Life provides and underwrites BNZ customers' policies; BNZ says it no longer provides life insurance	BNZ
Kiwibank	nib nz limited	Kiwibank
Westpac, or Westpac Life-NZ	Fidelity Life; Westpac Life-NZ was sold to Fidelity in 2022 and Fidelity has underwritten Westpac life products since 30 June 2023	Fidelity: Westpac
Southern Cross Life	Chubb Life, which Southern Cross says is "responsible for all claims"	Southern Cross Life
Cigna Life	Chubb, which bought Cigna's New Zealand life business on 1 July 2022	Chubb

Names are still changing. Asteron Life and Resolution Life New Zealand are due to become Acenda Life from 2027, subject to regulatory approval (Asteron Life), and Partners Group Holdings signed on 3 September 2026 to buy Fidelity Life, with completion scheduled for March to July 2027, subject to regulatory approval (Daiichi Life Group notice). The company that holds the policy today is the one to contact; if you cannot tell which, a call to the likely insurer's claims line will say whether it holds the file or who does.

Step 4: contact the insurers

Phone or write to the claims team of each likely insurer. Give the full name, date of birth, last address and date of death, and ask what it needs. The sources we read do not say whether an insurer will confirm that a policy exists before you prove your authority, so ask what it needs first. For comparison, Asteron Life asks for a death certificate, plus the will if the insured was the sole owner, letters of administration if there was no will, and probate where a will or letters are needed and the sum is over $40,000. It reports claim status within 5 to 7 working days and payment "typically takes two days" once accepted (Asteron Life: Claims). Other insurers set their own requirements.

Step 5: prove you can act

A death certificate costs $35, registration is free, and certificates usually arrive in 1 to 2 weeks (govt.nz: Get a death certificate). For authority, IR lists "a copy of the will, the death certificate, or a Letter of Administration, or other evidence" as proof (Inland Revenue: Search the database). The Administration Act 1969 lets an insurer pay a sum up to $40,000 to the person entitled to administer without a court grant, if that person applies or consents, but the insurer chooses (Administration Act 1969, s 65). Above that, expect probate (a $275 fee) or letters of administration. See our guides on probate and whether life insurance goes through probate.

Step 6: search Inland Revenue's list

Search IR's unclaimed money database by the name of the person or organisation (try any other names they used too), and claim through myIR with proof of authority. IR says it takes at least 12 weeks to process claims, and may take longer (Inland Revenue: Search the database). Our unclaimed money guide walks through the claim. This step covers older money, not a live policy.

What to watch for

Scammers. IR warns that scammers contact people saying they have unclaimed money waiting. Claim only through IR's own site or myIR, and be wary of anyone who asks for a fee to trace a policy.
More than one policy. A person may have held several, each a separate contract; see multiple life insurance policies. A couple's cover may also have been a joint or second-death policy, which pays differently: second-death life insurance.
Who is paid. Finding the policy is half the job. Who receives the money depends on ownership and any named beneficiary.
Time. After a claim is accepted, see how long a payout takes.

For the other organisations to tell, see who to notify after a death.

Momentum Life and this page

The buttons on this page open Momentum Life's online quote, which is one option if you are thinking about your own cover at some point. Momentum Life's Funeral Insurance, issued by Momentum Life Limited, takes New Zealanders aged 40 to 75 with no health questions and pays a fixed benefit of $3,000 to $30,000 towards costs. In the first 24 months it pays only for accidental death within 90 days of the accident; for any other death the premiums for that person are refunded. Total premiums can end up larger than the benefit, and the benefit may not cover the whole funeral. Quick Life takes ages 18 to 65 with no health questions, but excludes pre-existing conditions and suicide for the first 2 years. Neither is open over 75. Momentum Life Limited's A.M. Best rating is B (Fair), in the "Vulnerable" range; see its financial strength page. Saving the money yourself is another route.

QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy a Momentum policy; see how we are paid. Advice is provided by Craig Smith Business Services Limited, trading as Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver, a licensed Financial Advice Provider (FSP712931). General information, not advice. Back to the estate guides.

If you are planning ahead for your own funeral costs

Get a quote and apply online today

See your price in about a minute, then apply online with Momentum Life. Guaranteed acceptance, no health questions, no medical exams.

Life cover See your price Ages 18–65 · $50k–$300k Funeral cover See your price Ages 40–75 · $3k–$30k

Want more than $300k or have questions? Talk to an adviser

Life cover: Conditions you already have aren't covered for the first 2 years (premiums refunded instead). Suicide isn't covered for the first 2 years, and a few conditions can be excluded permanently.

Funeral cover: Only accidental death is covered for the first 2 years. Total premiums can add up to more than the cover, and it may not meet the whole cost of a funeral.

Insurer: Momentum Life Limited. Financial strength rating B (Fair) from AM Best, affirmed 11 February 2026; B ratings sit in AM Best's 'vulnerable' range. The rating scale is available for inspection at every Momentum Life office in New Zealand. What this means

Already have cover? Keep it. New cover won't pay for a condition you already have in its first 2 years.

Opens Momentum Life's online application; its guidance only covers eligibility. QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner. Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission if you buy. General information, not advice.

Adviser's view

Start with the paperwork and bank statements, because a policy that was being paid leaves a trail. Then go to the insurer directly, since Inland Revenue's unclaimed list only holds money after about five years. Insurer names have changed a lot, so a policy bought through a bank or an old brand may now sit with a different company. Be wary of anyone who asks for a fee to find a policy.

Henry Smith, Financial Adviser (FSP1010699). General information, not personalised financial advice.

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Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Unclaimed Life Insurance NZ: How to Find a Policy. www.quotehub.co.nz/guides/estate/unclaimed-life-insurance-nz. Updated 2026-10-20.

References

Explore related pages: Life Insurance, Income Protection, Health Insurance, Trauma Insurance, Free Will.