Lost your State Life policy document? What to do, and how to get a duplicate
Policy documents go missing: in a house move, a flood, or simply in a cupboard nobody can remember. The good news is that the policy does not go missing with them. Here is what State Life says happens when the document is lost, when you actually need a duplicate, and how to get one.
In short
- Losing the document does not end the policy. State Life still owes the claim or the sum insured.
- A claim can be paid without the original, against an indemnity bond signed with two sureties and a newspaper advertisement. A surrender can go ahead without it too.
- You do need a duplicate before taking a policy loan or claiming a survival benefit.
- For a duplicate, State Life asks for an affidavit, a newspaper advertisement, the policy stamp and a Rs. 25 alteration fee. It is issued after about a month.
First: the policy is not lost with the paper
State Life's own answer is clear: losing or destroying the policy document does not end its liability. The policy is a contract recorded in State Life's books, and the document is the evidence of it. As long as premiums are paid, the cover carries on.
What the document does is prove who holds the policy. Without it, State Life asks for other safeguards before it pays anyone, and for some requests it wants a duplicate first.
When you need a duplicate, and when you don't
How to get a duplicate
- Tell State Life's Policyholder Services (PHS) department, at the zone that services your policy, that the document is lost, and ask for a duplicate. Take your CNIC and your policy number if you have it.
- Make an affidavit about the loss.
- Place an advertisement about the lost policy in a newspaper, as State Life requires.
- Pay for the policy stamp and State Life's alteration fee of Rs. 25.
- State Life issues the duplicate once a month has passed. Plan for that if you need a loan by a certain date.
Don't know the policy number?
- Look at old premium receipts, bank statements or SMS alerts: the policy number is on each.
- If you are registered on State Life's policyholder portal or the myslic app, it is there.
- Call State Life's helpline on 051-111-777-542, or ask us and we will help you trace it.
- For a policy you think a late parent held, State Life points to the CDC Life Insurance Policy Finder: SMS the CNIC number to 99833.
Keep the new one safe
- Take a photo or a scan of every page, and keep it somewhere you can reach from your phone.
- Keep the original with your CNIC copies and premium receipts, and tell your nominee where they are.
- If you have just moved, give the zone your new address with your CNIC, so State Life's letters, including the one before maturity, reach you.
Key terms
- Duplicate policy
- A replacement policy document State Life issues when the original is lost.
- Indemnity bond
- A signed promise to make good any loss if a payment made without the original document turns out to be wrong.
- Surety
- A person who signs the indemnity bond with you and shares that promise. State Life asks for two.
- Policyholder Services (PHS)
- The department at each State Life zone that handles changes, duplicates and other requests on existing policies.
Talk it through with an advisor
Free, no-obligation advice from an authorized State Life advisor, and a year-by-year illustration for your own age and budget. You can also ask us anything on WhatsApp.
Questions people ask
- I have lost my State Life policy. Is my insurance cancelled?
- No. State Life says losing the document does not end its liability. Keep paying premiums and the policy carries on.
- How much does a duplicate State Life policy cost?
- State Life lists a Rs. 25 alteration fee plus the policy stamp. You also pay for the newspaper advertisement and the affidavit.
- How long does a duplicate take?
- State Life issues it once a month has passed after you apply and the formalities are complete.
- Can my family claim if the policy document cannot be found?
- Yes. State Life pays the claim against an indemnity bond signed jointly with two sureties, plus a newspaper advertisement. A duplicate is not needed for a claim.
- Can I take a loan without the original policy?
- No. State Life needs a duplicate policy before it grants a loan or pays a survival benefit.
Plans mentioned here
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Sources
StateLife Advisors is an independent agency authorized to sell State Life products; this is not the official State Life website. Product facts and bonus rates are as published by State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan. Sum assured and declared bonuses are guaranteed by the Government of Pakistan; future bonus rates are not. This is general information, not religious, legal, tax or personal investment advice.