The Trusted Contact Checklist: What to Do When You Get the Call

Someone trusted you enough to name you their family’s financial point person. Now that call has come. You’re overwhelmed, grieving, and staring at a mountain of paperwork you didn’t expect this soon. Here’s your action plan: in the first 48 hours, focus on getting the death certificate, securing bank accounts, and informing the employer. Everything else can wait a week. Don’t let anyone rush you into decisions about property or investments right now.

This post is your step-by-step playbook. Bookmark it. Print it. Come back to it when you need to.

First 48 Hours: The Immediate Priorities

You don’t need to do everything at once. But these three things can’t wait.

1. Get the Death Certificate (and Get Many Copies)

Apply at the local municipal corporation (in cities) or gram panchayat (in rural areas). You’ll need:

• Hospital death summary or doctor’s certificate
• Aadhaar card of the deceased
• Your own ID proof

Processing typically takes 3 to 7 days. Order 15 to 20 certified copies. Every bank, insurer, and government office will want an original. Running out of copies mid-process is a headache you don’t need.

2. Secure the Bank Accounts

If the deceased had a joint account with “Either or Survivor” clause, the surviving holder can operate it immediately. No paperwork delay. No waiting period. The bank cannot freeze this account.

For sole accounts with a nominee, here’s the good news: under the RBI’s 2025 Directions, banks must settle nominee claims within 15 calendar days of receiving complete documents. They cannot demand a succession certificate, probate, or indemnity bond when a valid nomination exists, regardless of the balance amount.

For sole accounts without a nominee, the process is still simpler than it used to be. Banks must now follow a simplified procedure for claims up to Rs 15 lakh (Rs 5 lakh for cooperative banks). You’ll typically need just the claim form, death certificate, legal heir declaration, and an indemnity bond. No succession certificate, no third-party surety.

Detailed steps for bank claims are covered in our guide to claiming a deceased person’s bank account.

3. Inform the Employer

If the deceased was employed, call the HR department on day one. This triggers three separate payouts:

• Provident Fund (EPF): The full PF balance, including employer contribution.
• Gratuity: Calculated as 15/26 x last drawn salary (basic + DA) x years of service. Must be paid within 30 days of it becoming due.
• EDLI (Employees’ Deposit Linked Insurance): Up to Rs 7 lakh. This is a life insurance benefit most families don’t even know exists. It’s automatically part of every EPF account.

The employer will also release any pending salary, leave encashment, and reimbursements. Get everything in writing.

Week 1: Document Gathering Mode

Once the immediate fires are handled, shift into collection mode. You’ll need these documents repeatedly over the next few months. Gather them into one folder (physical and digital).

Your Master Document Checklist

Identity documents of the deceased:

• Aadhaar card
• PAN card
• Passport (if applicable)
• Voter ID

Death-related documents:

• Death certificate (15-20 certified copies)
• Hospital records / death summary
• FIR copy (if applicable, for accidental death)
• Post-mortem report (if applicable)

Financial documents:

• Bank passbooks and statements (all accounts)
• Fixed deposit receipts
• Demat account statements
• Life insurance policies (all of them, check old papers)
• Health insurance policy
• Loan documents (home loan, car loan, personal loan)
• Credit card statements
• PPF / NPS / mutual fund statements
• Property documents and tax receipts
• Latest ITR filed

Employment documents (if the deceased was employed):

• Last 3 salary slips
• EPF UAN number and passbook
• Employer’s letter confirming date of joining and last working day
• Form 16

Your documents as claimant:

• Your Aadhaar and PAN
• Relationship proof (marriage certificate, birth certificate)
• Bank account details (for receiving payouts)
• Cancelled cheque

Legal documents (you may need to obtain these):

• Legal heir certificate (from revenue department, takes 15-30 days)
• Succession certificate (from civil court, takes 3-6 months, needed for larger claims without nomination)

Keep digital scans of everything. You’ll be uploading these to multiple portals.

Week 2 to 4: Filing the Claims

Now comes the real work. Here’s the order that makes sense, based on how quickly each claim gets processed.

Insurance Claims (Target: 30 Days)

File life insurance claims first. IRDAI regulations require insurers to settle claims within 30 days of receiving complete documents. For straightforward death claims (not under investigation), this timeline is strictly enforced.

You’ll need: death certificate, policy document, claimant’s ID and bank details, and sometimes the nominee’s photograph. If you can’t find the policy document, the insurer can trace it using the deceased’s PAN or Aadhaar.

If the insurer drags their feet, file a complaint on the IRDAI Policyholder portal.

EPF and Pension Claims

The EPFO Unified Portal now allows online death claim filing. If the deceased had completed e-nomination, the nominee can file using the Composite Death Claim Form, which combines Form 20 (PF), Form 10D (pension), and Form 5IF (EDLI) into a single submission. Authentication happens through OTP on the nominee’s Aadhaar-linked mobile number.

If e-nomination wasn’t done, you’ll need to file offline through the employer. It’s slower, but the same forms apply.

We’ve written a detailed walkthrough for EPF claims after death.

Gratuity

The employer is legally required to pay gratuity within 30 days. If the deceased completed 5 or more years of service, gratuity is calculated as:

15/26 x last drawn salary (basic + DA) x completed years of service

For someone earning Rs 50,000 basic + DA with 10 years of service, that’s roughly Rs 2.88 lakh. This should come directly from the employer to the nominee without you having to chase it.

Mutual Funds, Shares, and Demat Accounts

For mutual funds, submit the death claim to each AMC or through the registrar (CAMS/KFintech). For shares in a demat account, contact the depository participant. Transmission of securities to the nominee is usually completed in 15 to 30 days.

Loans and Liabilities

Check if any loans had credit life insurance. Home loans almost always do. If the policy is active, the outstanding loan gets paid off by the insurer. Don’t make EMI payments until you’ve confirmed this.

For credit cards, inform the bank immediately. The estate is liable for outstanding amounts, not the family members personally (unless they were co-applicants).

Timeline Expectations: What’s Realistic

Claim Type	Expected Timeline	Notes
Joint bank account (survivor)	Immediate	No documents needed beyond death certificate
Bank account (with nominee)	15 days	RBI 2025 mandates this timeline
Bank account (no nominee, under Rs 15L)	15-30 days	Simplified procedure applies
Life insurance	30 days	From complete document submission
EPF + EDLI + Pension	30-45 days	Faster with e-nomination
Gratuity	30 days	Employer’s obligation
Mutual fund transmission	15-30 days	Per AMC
Legal heir certificate	15-30 days	Revenue department
Succession certificate	3-6 months	Civil court, needed for complex cases

If any institution misses these timelines, they owe you compensation. RBI mandates interest at Bank Rate + 4% for delayed bank claim settlements. IRDAI mandates interest at Bank Rate + 2% for delayed insurance settlements.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Don’t close accounts prematurely. Some accounts may have auto-debit mandates for insurance premiums or SIPs. Closing them could lapse policies or stop investments. Map out all linked payments first.

Don’t ignore small accounts. That old savings account with Rs 12,000? It still needs to be claimed. Otherwise it becomes an unclaimed deposit after 10 years.

Don’t pay anyone to “expedite” claims. Every claim process is free. If someone at a bank or government office asks for money to “speed things up,” escalate to the grievance cell. For banks, use the RBI CMS portal.

Don’t sign blank papers. Some institutions may ask you to sign blank forms for their convenience. Never do this.

Don’t assume nomination means ownership. A nominee is a custodian, not necessarily the legal heir. If there’s a Will, the assets go to the beneficiaries named in the Will, not automatically to the nominee. This distinction matters for larger estates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a lawyer for all this? Not for standard claims with clear nomination. You’ll need legal help for succession certificates, contested Wills, or property disputes. For straightforward financial claims, you can handle it yourself.

What if I can’t find some of the documents? Banks can look up accounts using PAN or Aadhaar. Insurers can trace policies through their central database. EPFO has everything linked to the UAN. Don’t let missing paperwork stop you from starting.

What if the deceased had debts I don’t know about? Pull a CIBIL report using the deceased’s PAN. This will show all active loans and credit lines. The estate is responsible for debts, not individual family members (unless they were co-borrowers).

Can the bank refuse to give me the money if I’m the nominee? Under the 2025 RBI Directions, no. Banks cannot refuse payment to a valid nominee or demand additional legal documents. If they do, file a complaint on the RBI CMS portal.

What You Can Do Today

You were chosen for this role because someone believed you’d show up when it mattered. The fact that you’re reading this means you’re already showing up.

If you’re reading this before the crisis has hit, you’re in an even better position. Use this time to:

1. Ask your family member to complete nominations on all bank accounts, insurance policies, and EPF. This single step cuts claim processing time in half.
2. Get a list of all financial accounts in one place. Knowing what exists is half the battle.
3. Store documents digitally where you can access them when needed.

Anshin helps families organize exactly this information. It’s built for Indian families who want to make sure the people they trust have what they need, when they need it. If your family hasn’t started this conversation yet, now’s the time.

For a broader overview of everything that needs to happen in the first 30 days, see our complete 30-day checklist. And if you’ve lost a parent specifically, our guide for that situation covers the emotional and financial steps together.

If you’ve lost a spouse and need the full financial roadmap, start with this guide.

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Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or financial advice. Regulations and timelines mentioned are based on publicly available information as of February 2026. Specific timelines may vary depending on the institution and your circumstances. For complex estates or disputed claims, consult a qualified lawyer.