Bright Grey and Scottish Provident have introduced a fast-track system to reduce the time it takes to pay out on life cover claims.

Relatives will no longer have to wait for complex legal issues to be resolved before they can receive a payout, the protection firms claimed.

Life cover claims up to the amount of £100,000 will be paid out if there is a Will and there are no suspicious circumstances. For cases without a Will, the protection businesses of the Royal London Group will pay out up to £25,000. In all cases claimants will need to complete an indemnity form. This will allow the proceeds to be paid quickly without the need to wait for a Grant of Probate.

Phil Stafford, head of underwriting standards, philosophy and claims, Bright Grey and Scottish Provident, said: “Payment of death claims can often be delayed by the time taken to obtain the appropriate grant of representation (known as confirmation in Scotland), which enables the personal representatives to administer the deceased’s estate. This delay can arise where an own life plan has not been assigned or written in trust. In complex cases, the process can take many months or even years.

“The last thing anyone dealing with bereavement will need is the added pressure of money worries. By speeding up the life claims process the time it takes to receive a payout will reduce substantially in many cases.

“We would also urge people to write their life policies in trust. With less than 10% of protection policies being written in trust, many families needlessly experience the difficulties that that brings with it, problems with probate, legacy disputes and unintended gifts to the tax man.”