Is LIC a public authority under the RTI Act and can I file RTI with it?

Yes. The Life Insurance Corporation of India is a statutory corporation constituted under the Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956 — a Central Government legislation. LIC is substantially funded by and under the control of the Central Government (Ministry of Finance), which also appoints its Chairman and Managing Directors. LIC is unambiguously a public authority within the meaning of Section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. Every policyholder, nominee, or legal heir can file an RTI with the CPIO of the relevant LIC office to seek information about their policy, claim status, bonus details, and related records.

Which LIC office should I file the RTI with — Branch Office or Divisional Office?

For most individual policy-related queries — claim status, maturity payment, bonus details, policy loan, and lapsed policy — the correct authority is the CPIO of the Divisional Office under which your policy is serviced. LIC's branch offices handle premium collection and customer service, but claim processing and most administrative decisions are handled at the Divisional Office level. To find your servicing Divisional Office, check your policy bond document, your premium receipts, or the LIC customer portal at licindia.in. If you are unsure, file with the Branch Office CPIO — they are obligated to transfer your application to the correct office within 5 days under Section 6(3) of the RTI Act.

What documents should I submit along with the death claim — and can RTI help if the claim is pending?

LIC typically requires the following documents for a death claim: original policy bond, completed claim form (Form A), death certificate issued by the competent authority, proof of age of the deceased (if not already registered), claimant's identity and address proof, and bank account details for NEFT payment. For accidental or unnatural deaths, a police FIR, post-mortem report, and inquest panchnama may also be required. If your claim has been pending beyond a reasonable time despite submission of all documents, file an RTI asking for the specific stage of processing, the name of the officer holding the file, the reason for the delay, and a copy of any letter or deficiency notice issued. This creates an official record and frequently accelerates processing.

My LIC policy matured several months ago but I have not received the payment. What should I do?

A maturity payment should ordinarily be processed by LIC on or before the maturity date if you have submitted a discharge form and NEFT details to your servicing branch in advance. If the payment has not been received, first contact the branch office and obtain a written acknowledgement of your complaint. If the issue is not resolved promptly, file an RTI with the CPIO of the Divisional Office asking for the processing status of your maturity claim for Policy No. [XXX], the date on which the discharge voucher was received by LIC, whether payment has been processed and if so on which date and to which account, and if not, the reason for the delay and the officer responsible.

Can I file RTI as the nominee or legal heir of a deceased policyholder?

Yes. A nominee named in the policy, or a legal heir of the deceased policyholder (where there is no surviving nominee or the nominee has also passed away), can file an RTI on behalf of the deceased policyholder's estate. In your application, state your name, your relationship to the deceased policyholder (e.g., nominee as per the policy / legal heir), and attach a self-attested copy of your identity proof. You do not need a court order or legal heirship certificate to file an RTI — the RTI Act grants any citizen the right to seek information from a public authority, and your interest as a nominee or heir in the claim is evident from the context.

What if LIC does not respond to my RTI within 30 days?

If LIC does not respond within 30 days from the date of receipt of your RTI application, the silence is treated as a deemed refusal under the RTI Act. You can file a First Appeal under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) at LIC — typically the Divisional Manager or a senior officer of the Divisional Office — within 30 days of the date of the decision or the expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. If the FAA also does not respond within the prescribed time or the response is unsatisfactory, you can file a Second Appeal with the Central Information Commission (CIC) under Section 19(3) within 90 days of the FAA's decision or the date on which the FAA's decision should have been made. The CIC can direct LIC to furnish the information and may impose penalties on the erring officer under Section 20 of the RTI Act.

Home/Guides/How to File RTI with LIC (Life Insurance Corporation of India) — Policy Claims, Bonus, and Maturity

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How to File RTI with LIC (Life Insurance Corporation of India) — Policy Claims, Bonus, and Maturity

Step-by-step guide to file an RTI application with LIC of India for delayed death claims, maturity claims, survival benefit payments, bonus additions, policy loan status, and lapsed policy revival. Includes a ready-to-use sample RTI draft.

Updated 24 May 2026

Quick Facts

MinistryMinistry of Finance

Address RTI ToCPIO, LIC Divisional Office / Branch Office having jurisdiction over the policy

Application Fee₹10 under RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005. Free for BPL cardholders.

Response Time30 days from receipt (Section 7(1), RTI Act 2005). 48 hours if the matter involves life or liberty.

File Online Athttps://rtionline.gov.in

All information on this page is based on the Right to Information Act, 2005 (Act No. 22 of 2005) and the RTI (Regulation of Fee and Cost) Rules, 2005. First Appeal: Section 19(1). Second Appeal to CIC/SIC: Section 19(3).

The Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) is the country's largest life insurer, with over 280 million policies in force. Established under the Life Insurance Corporation Act, 1956, LIC is a statutory corporation under the Ministry of Finance and a public authority under Section 2(h) of the Right to Information Act, 2005. This means policyholders, nominees, and legal heirs have a legal right to seek information about their policies, claims, bonus additions, and related records directly from LIC.

In practice, delayed death claims, unpaid maturity amounts, unclear bonus calculations, and policy loan disputes often remain unresolved despite repeated visits to branch offices. An RTI application changes the dynamic — it creates a time-bound official record that the CPIO must address, and non-compliance exposes the officer to penalties under the RTI Act.

What Can You Achieve with an RTI to LIC?

Find out the exact stage and officer responsible for a pending death claim
Obtain the specific reason for delay or rejection of a death or maturity claim, along with copies of any investigation report or deficiency notice
Confirm the total maturity amount payable — sum assured, accrued bonuses, and final additional bonus (FAB)
Get a year-wise breakdown of Simple Reversionary Bonus (SRB) and FAB credited to your policy
Check the outstanding policy loan balance, interest accrued, and the risk of lapse
Find out the arrears and interest required to revive a lapsed policy and the applicable revival scheme
Obtain a copy of the policy records or claim file to verify accuracy

Where to File: The Right Authority

LIC operates through four tiers: Branches (customer-facing, premium collection), Divisional Offices (claim processing and policy administration), Zonal Offices, and Central Office (Mumbai). For most individual policy grievances, the correct authority is the CPIO of the Divisional Office servicing your policy.

To identify your Divisional Office:

Check the policy bond document — the servicing branch and its divisional code are printed on it
Log in to the LIC customer portal at licindia.in — your policy details page shows the servicing branch
Call the LIC helpline at 1800-227-717 (toll-free) and ask for the Divisional Office details

File online at rtionline.gov.in — select Ministry of Finance → Life Insurance Corporation of India → Your Divisional Office. You do not need to visit the office in person.

How to File: Step by Step

Step 1: Collect Your Policy Details

Before drafting your RTI, keep the following ready:

Policy number(s) and plan name
Date of maturity (for maturity claims) or date of death (for death claims)
Claim reference number, if you have already submitted a claim
Name of the LIC Branch and Divisional Office servicing the policy
Any acknowledgement receipts for documents previously submitted to LIC

Step 2: Draft Your Application

Be specific and quantified. "Why is my claim pending?" is less actionable than "Provide the specific stage of processing, the name of the officer currently holding the claim file, and the reason for delay with reference to any internal circular or investigation report, for death claim against Policy No. XXX submitted on DD/MM/YYYY." The sample draft in this guide covers five common categories — death claim, maturity/survival benefit, bonus, policy loan, and lapsed policy revival — and is ready to use with your details filled in.

Step 3: File on the RTI Online Portal

Visit rtionline.gov.in and register or log in
Click Submit Request
Select: Ministry of Finance → Life Insurance Corporation of India → Your Divisional Office
Paste your application text (limit: 3,000 characters; trim to the questions most relevant to your situation if needed)
Optionally attach supporting documents — a copy of the claim acknowledgement, premium receipt, or LIC portal screenshot

Step 4: Pay and Track

Pay ₹10 online via net banking, debit/credit card, or UPI. BPL cardholders are exempt — attach a self-attested copy of your BPL card and select the exemption option. After submission, you will receive a registration number. Keep this number for tracking.

If there is no response within 30 days, file a First Appeal under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) at LIC — typically the Divisional Manager — within 30 days of the date of the decision or the expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable. If unsatisfactory, escalate to the Central Information Commission (CIC) under Section 19(3) within 90 days.

What Specific Information Can You Ask For?

Organise your questions by category for the clearest, most actionable response:

Death Claim

Date of registration of death claim for Policy No. XXX and the claim reference number assigned
Current stage of claim processing and name and designation of the officer currently holding the file
Specific reason(s) for any delay, along with a copy of any investigation report, query letter, or repudiation letter issued in connection with the claim

Maturity / Survival Benefit 4. Whether the maturity / survival benefit for Policy No. XXX maturing on DD/MM/YYYY has been processed — date and mode of payment, or reason for delay 5. Total maturity amount payable, itemised as: basic sum assured + total Simple Reversionary Bonus + Final Additional Bonus (if applicable) + any guaranteed additions 6. Whether any policy loan or loan interest has been deducted from the maturity proceeds, and if so, the amount

Bonus Details 7. Year-wise Simple Reversionary Bonus (SRB) declared and credited to Policy No. XXX for each year from policy commencement to the current year (or to the date of maturity / death) 8. Final Additional Bonus (FAB) applicable to the above policy as per the current LIC valuation, if the policy is a with-profits plan

Policy Loan 9. Outstanding principal and accrued interest on the policy loan against Policy No. XXX as on DD/MM/YYYY 10. Date on which the loan was sanctioned and the interest rate applied 11. Whether the policy is currently at risk of lapse due to the outstanding loan balance and the steps required to prevent lapse

Lapsed Policy Revival 12. Current status of Policy No. XXX — whether in force or lapsed, and since what date 13. Total arrears of premium and interest required to revive the policy as on DD/MM/YYYY, along with the applicable revival scheme 14. The last date by which revival can be applied for under the LIC guidelines, if a deadline applies

Sample RTI Application Draft

To,
The Central Public Information Officer (CPIO),
Life Insurance Corporation of India,
[Divisional Office / Branch Office Name],
[City, State – Pin Code]

Subject: Application under the Right to Information Act, 2005 — Status of LIC Policy Claim / Maturity / Bonus

Sir/Madam,

I, [Your Full Name], [Policyholder / Nominee / Legal Heir], residing at [Your Full Address], submit this application under Section 6 of the Right to Information Act, 2005, to seek the following information:

Policy details:
  Policy Number(s): [LIC Policy Number(s)]
  Name of Policyholder: [Full Name of Policyholder]
  Date of Birth of Policyholder: [DD/MM/YYYY]
  Plan Name and Number: [e.g., Jeevan Anand — Plan 149]
  Servicing Branch: [Name of LIC Branch Office]
  Agent Code (if known): [Agent Code]

Information sought:

1. [For Death Claim] The current status of the death claim submitted by me as nominee/legal heir of the late [Policyholder's Full Name], who passed away on [DD/MM/YYYY], in respect of Policy No. [XXX], including:
   (a) The date on which the claim was registered and the claim reference number assigned.
   (b) The stage at which the claim is currently pending, along with the name and designation of the officer currently holding the file.
   (c) The specific reason(s) for any delay or non-settlement of the claim, with reference to any investigation report, if applicable.
   (d) A certified copy of any letter or notice issued to me in connection with this claim.

2. [For Maturity / Survival Benefit Claim] The current status of the maturity / survival benefit claim for Policy No. [XXX], which matured on [DD/MM/YYYY], including:
   (a) Whether the maturity / survival benefit amount has been processed, and if so, the date on which it was dispatched/credited and the mode of payment.
   (b) If not yet processed, the specific reason(s) for the delay and the stage at which the claim is pending.
   (c) The total maturity / survival benefit amount payable, including the basic sum assured, accrued bonuses, and any other additions.

3. [For Bonus] The bonus additions — including Simple Reversionary Bonus (SRB) and Final Additional Bonus (FAB), if applicable — declared and credited to my Policy No. [XXX] for each year from [YYYY] to [YYYY], along with the basis or rate at which such bonus was calculated.

4. [For Policy Loan] The current outstanding balance on the policy loan availed against Policy No. [XXX], including:
   (a) The original loan amount sanctioned, date of sanction, and interest rate applicable.
   (b) Total interest accrued to date and any amounts repaid.
   (c) Whether the policy is at risk of lapsing due to the outstanding loan and interest.

5. [For Lapsed Policy Revival] Whether the above-mentioned policy is in force or in lapsed status as of [DD/MM/YYYY], and if lapsed, the arrears of premium and interest required to revive the policy under the applicable revival scheme, along with the last date for revival if applicable.

I am enclosing the application fee of Rs. 10 [via online payment; Reference No.: [Payment Ref]].

I request you to provide the above information within 30 days as required under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, 2005.

Yours sincerely,

[Your Full Name]
[Your Relationship to the Policyholder, if applicable]
[Your Complete Postal Address]
Phone: [Your 10-digit Mobile Number]
Email: [[email protected]]
Date: [DD/MM/YYYY]

Replace all text in [square brackets] with your actual details before filing. Do not include the brackets in your submission.

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