How to Complete and Submit the Monumental Life Insurance Death Claim Form

Monumental Life Insurance Company was absorbed into Transamerica, so a death claim on a Monumental life insurance policy is filed on Transamerica’s Claimant’s Statement. You complete the form, attach a certified copy of the death certificate, and submit the package online or by mail to Transamerica’s claims office in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Straightforward claims are generally paid within 30 days of receipt of a complete filing.

How to Get the Form

There are two ways to start. The fastest is the online Claimant’s Statement at myta.transamerica.com, which lets you enter the deceased’s information directly into a web form and submit it electronically.¹ If you prefer paper, go to insuranceservicenow.transamerica.com, enter the policy or certificate number, and the site generates the correct printable form for that specific policy. Fill it out, print it, and mail it back.²

To speak with a claims representative, call 800-523-7900, weekdays from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. ET.² A rep can walk you through the process and mail the appropriate forms.

What to Have Ready Before You Start

Pull these together before you sit down with the form. A missing piece is the most common reason a claim stalls:

The policy number, found on the original policy document, premium notices, or annual statements.
A certified copy of the death certificate. Transamerica requires one certified copy regardless of the benefit amount or number of policies. A certified copy carries a raised seal or registrar’s signature; photocopies will not be accepted. If a certified certificate is difficult to obtain, Transamerica may consider a statement from the physician who attended the insured during their last illness, though this is discretionary. Certified copies typically run $6 to $25 depending on your state, ordered from the county or state vital records office where the death occurred.³
The deceased’s full legal name, Social Security number, date of birth, date of death, place of death, cause of death, and last known address.
Your own Social Security number or Taxpayer Identification Number, date of birth, phone number, and relationship to the deceased.
Names and addresses of the deceased’s doctors, any hospitals or nursing facilities where they were treated, and prescription information including pharmacy names and prescription numbers.³
The original policy document, if you have it. The form asks you to indicate whether the policy is attached.³

For accidental deaths, expect Transamerica to ask for additional documentation such as a coroner’s report, police report, or autopsy results. Having these ready at the time you file prevents a second round of correspondence that can add weeks.

Filling Out the Claimant’s Statement

Work through the form section by section. Errors here are the most common reason claims get kicked back.

Deceased’s Information

Enter the deceased’s full legal name exactly as it appears on the policy. The form asks for the policy number, date of death, place of death, cause of death, and whether the death resulted from suicide, homicide, or an accident. For an accidental death, describe the circumstances briefly. You also provide the name and address of the attending mortician, and the date the deceased first showed signs of their final illness.³

The date-of-birth section asks where you got that information: a birth certificate, family Bible, or other record. This matters because Transamerica adjusts the benefit amount if the insured’s age was misstated on the original application. The policy is not voided; the death benefit is recalculated to reflect what the premiums would have purchased at the correct age.

Beneficiary Information and Tax Certification

Enter your date of birth, Social Security or Taxpayer Identification Number, phone number, and relationship to the deceased. The accuracy of the SSN or TIN is more than a formality. Under federal law, Transamerica must withhold a percentage of any reportable payment if you fail to furnish a correct taxpayer identification number.⁴ The current backup withholding rate is 24%.

The form includes a certification where you confirm, under penalty of perjury, that your SSN or TIN is correct and that you have not been notified by the IRS that you are subject to backup withholding. If you have received such a notice, the form instructs you to cross out the relevant statement.³

Life insurance death benefits themselves are not subject to federal income tax.⁵ Any interest that accrues on the proceeds between the date of death and the date you actually receive them, however, is taxable income.⁶ The tax certification lets Transamerica report that interest properly without withholding from your payment.

Medical History and Signature

A separate page asks for previous names the deceased may have used, a list of doctors consulted with dates and addresses, hospitals or facilities where the deceased was treated, and prescriptions filled including pharmacy details and drug names.³ This helps Transamerica verify the cause of death against the medical record, particularly if the death occurred within the two-year contestability window.

Sign and date the form. A witness must also sign and provide a printed name and address. If you are mailing the form, both signatures should be original, not photocopied.

Choosing How the Benefit Is Paid

Transamerica offers several ways to receive the death benefit. The options vary by policy, but commonly include:

A lump sum: the full benefit paid at once. This is the simplest and most common choice.
Fixed-period installments: equal monthly payments spread over a period you choose, up to 240 months, with interest.⁷
Life income: equal monthly payments for the rest of your life, with options for a guaranteed minimum period of 10 years or a guarantee that total payments will at least equal the original proceeds.⁷
Joint and survivor: monthly payments to you for your lifetime, then continuing to a second person you designate.⁷

One detail to know: if the monthly payment under any installment or life-income option would be less than $100, Transamerica pays the full proceeds as a lump sum instead.⁷ For most beneficiaries covering funeral costs and outstanding bills, the lump sum is the practical choice.

Submitting the Claim Package

If you filed the electronic form at myta.transamerica.com, upload the death certificate and any supporting documents through Transamerica’s secure messaging portal at transamerica.com/upload.⁸ You select your product type, enter your email, and receive a secure encrypted link where you can attach your files. Save the confirmation for your records.

If you used the printable form, mail the completed package to:

Transamerica Life Insurance Company
PO Box 189
Cedar Rapids, IA 52406-0189

Use certified mail or a tracked shipping service so you have proof of delivery and the date you sent it. That date matters because it establishes when you provided proof of loss, which triggers the insurer’s obligation to respond within the timeframe set by your state’s insurance laws.

What Happens After You Submit

Transamerica’s claims team confirms the policy was in force on the date of death, checks the cause of death against any policy exclusions, and verifies that all required documents are present. If anything is missing or unclear, the company sends a written request for more information. Respond quickly: each delay resets the clock on the review.

When everything checks out, Transamerica generally has 30 days from receipt of a complete claim to issue payment. After final approval, payment typically arrives within 7 to 10 business days using the settlement method you selected on the form.

The Two-Year Contestability Period

If the insured died within two years of when the policy was issued, expect extra scrutiny. During this contestability window, Transamerica has the right to investigate whether the original application contained material misstatements such as undisclosed medical conditions, inaccurate smoking status, or omitted diagnoses. The insurer reviews medical records, prescription histories, and underwriting files to determine whether the policy would have been issued on the same terms with correct information.

The company must prove that any misrepresentation was material, meaning it actually would have changed the underwriting decision. Innocent mistakes that did not affect the risk assessment are not grounds for denial. Contestability investigations take longer than standard claims. If your claim falls within this window, being thorough on the medical history section and proactively providing records helps move things along. The contestability period does not apply to misstatements about age or gender, which are handled by adjusting the benefit amount rather than voiding the policy.

If You Cannot Find the Policy Number

Start by searching the deceased’s records for premium payment receipts, annual statements, or correspondence from Monumental or Transamerica. Check bank and credit card statements for recurring payments to any life insurance carrier.

If that turns up nothing, use the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator, a free tool run by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Go to eapps.naic.org/life-policy-locator, create an account, and submit a search using the deceased’s Social Security number, legal name, date of birth, and date of death.⁹ The request is shared with participating insurers. If a match is found and you are the listed beneficiary, the insurer contacts you directly. The NAIC itself does not hold policy data and will not reach out if no match is found, so hearing nothing after 90 days likely means no participating company found a matching policy.¹⁰

Minor, Predeceased, or Multiple Beneficiaries

If the beneficiary is a child under 18, Transamerica cannot pay the death benefit directly to the minor. Someone needs legal authority to receive the funds on the child’s behalf. The cleanest path is an existing trust: a named trustee collects the proceeds and manages them under the trust’s terms. Without a trust, a surviving parent or other adult typically needs to petition the court to be named the child’s financial guardian and provide the court order before Transamerica will release payment. Some states allow a custodial account under the Uniform Transfers to Minors Act, where a designated custodian manages the funds until the child reaches 18 or 21, depending on the state.

When the primary beneficiary died before the insured, the proceeds go to the contingent beneficiary listed on the policy. If no contingent beneficiary was named, or all named beneficiaries predeceased the insured, the death benefit is paid to the insured’s estate and passes through probate, which can take a year or more and may expose the proceeds to estate taxes and creditor claims they would have otherwise avoided.

When a policy names more than one primary beneficiary, each one files their own Claimant’s Statement, and the percentage split designated on the policy controls how proceeds are divided. If one primary beneficiary predeceased the insured, how their share is redistributed depends on the policy language.

If Your Claim Is Denied

Transamerica’s denial letter will state the specific reason: a lapsed policy, an exclusion in the policy terms, a contestability finding, or missing documentation. Read it carefully and compare the stated reason against your copy of the policy.

If the denial was based on missing documents, the fix may be as simple as providing what was requested and asking the company to reconsider. For denials based on policy exclusions or contestability findings, you have the right to file a formal appeal. Your appeal letter should address the insurer’s reasoning point by point, reference the relevant policy provisions, and include supporting evidence such as medical records, proof of premium payments, or correspondence that contradicts the insurer’s position.

Watch the deadlines. Most insurers impose a specific window for filing appeals, and missing it can limit your options. If your internal appeal is denied, you can file a complaint with your state’s department of insurance, pursue mediation, or consult an attorney who handles life insurance claim disputes. State insurance regulators have authority to investigate whether the denial complied with your state’s insurance laws, including prompt-payment requirements.

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Transamerica. Transamerica Life Insurance Death Claim Form
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Transamerica. Claim Forms
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Transamerica. Claimant’s Statement
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 3406 – Backup Withholding
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Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 26 USC 101 – Certain Death Benefits
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Internal Revenue Service. Life Insurance and Disability Insurance Proceeds
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SEC. Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Company
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Transamerica. Upload
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National Association of Insurance Commissioners. Learn How to Use the NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator
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National Association of Insurance Commissioners. NAIC Life Insurance Policy Locator Helps Consumers Find Lost Life Insurance Benefits