Individual insurance – Frequently asked questions

Get answers to frequently asked questions about managing your Manulife individual insurance policy and accessing support.

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Claim

To submit your claim, please complete the applicable form and send it to the address printed at the top of the form.

For critical illness claims, download the Critical illness Claimant’s Statement form.

For disability insurance claims, download the Standard Statement of Accident or Illness for Disability Insurance form.

We’re sorry that you’re dealing with the loss of a loved one. We know this can be a difficult time. To help make things a bit easier, we’ve created this online form so you can share what happened. Please fill out as much as you can, and we’ll take care of the rest. If you prefer, you can also call us at 1-888-626-8543.

We’ll need:

Policy number
Policyholder’s name and date of birth
Funeral home name
Date of death

Many of our claim forms are available on our Manulife forms web page. If you’re not sure which form you need, please call us at 1-888-626-8543.

Most claims take 5 to 20 business days to process. To find out your claim status, call us at 1-888-626-8543 with the policy number.

Most claims take 5 to 20 business days to process. If it has been longer than 20 business days, call us at 1-888-626-8543 with the policy number.

In Canada, life insurance death benefits paid directly to a named beneficiary are typically not subject to income tax. Tax treatment may vary depending on your individual circumstances, such as when the proceeds are paid to the policyholder's estate instead of a named beneficiary. If you have questions about your specific tax situation, consider speaking with a qualified tax advisor.

Coverage

If you need to add/change your coverage, please speak to your advisor.

You don’t have to give us evidence of insurability when you decrease a benefit or rider. You can complete and mail or fax us this Request for Change form.

Application

To buy a new policy, please contact your advisor. If you don’t currently have one, try our Find an advisor tool to locate one near you.

Underwriting is the process of reviewing your application to help us assess your insurance coverage request. Depending on your application, we may ask for additional information before making a decision. If more information is needed, we'll let you know and guide you through the next steps.

Speak to your advisor to get your questions answered. If you don’t have an advisor, try our Find an advisor tool to find one near you. If you have questions about a policy you already own, or want to update your policy, please call us at 1-888-626-8543.

Administration

Yes. Most personal insurance policies can be viewed online with your Manulife ID. This does not include corporately owned or Standard Life policies. To access your policy online, sign in to your account. Your policy needs to be connected to your Manulife ID.

If you find you can’t access your policy online but need to make a change, give us a call at 1-888-626-8543 or email manulife_insurance@manulife.ca.

To lower your coverage (such as removing a rider), complete the Request for Change form and send it to us. You will not need to provide medical proof to reduce coverage.

To update your name, complete the Request for Name Change form and send it to us. If you have an advisor, you may also wish to let them know you’re changing your name.

Many customers can update their address online. To do so:

Sign in to your account (opens in a new tab)
Go to your profile
If you see ‘Edit’ next to your address, you can update it right away (Canadian addresses only)

If online updates aren’t available to you, complete the Request to change address information form (opens in a new tab) and send it to us by mail or fax.

Note:

Group benefits members should update an address on the plan member site (opens in a new tab)
Affinity group or Manulife Bank customers can update their address with the Request to change address information form (opens in a new tab) (Some Manulife Bank customers may also be able to change their address on the bank website or in the Manulife Bank mobile app)
Group retirement members can find information about updating an address under the Change my personal information section on the Manage my information web page

Some customers can update their banking details online.

Sign in to your account
Go to your profile
If you see ‘Edit’ next to your banking information, you can update your details online

If online updates aren’t available, complete our Set up or change a pre-authorized debit plan form and send it to us.

To change your payment frequency, complete the Set up or change a pre-authorized debit plan form and send it to us.

If you haven’t smoked for at least one year, you may be eligible to change your status. Reach out to your advisor to get the right form.

To change the owner of a policy, please complete a Transfer of ownership form. Be aware that ownership changes may affect your taxes. For more information, call us at 1-888-626-8543.

You can change your beneficiary online if they are not irrevocable (which means you would need their consent to make a change.)

Sign in to your account
Go to your profile
Update your beneficiary

Or complete our Beneficiary designation form and send it to us.

To begin a death claim, your beneficiary will typically need the completed claim form and information about the policyholder. Depending on the claim, we may ask for additional documents. We'll let you know if we need anything else during the claims process.

If you have a Manulife policy, complete and mail or fax us the Financial Change form to change your fund choices.

If you have a policy with another financial institution, or a policy from Maritime Life or Zurich Life, call us at 1-888-626-8543 to change your fund choices.

To confirm how much you’re paying for insurance premiums, call us at 1-888-626-8543. You may also confirm how much you’re paying for insurance after you sign in to the Customer Secure Site.

Some policies do allow you to borrow money. To apply to do so, complete the Application for Policy Loan or Withdrawal form and send it to us, along with a void cheque. Loans or withdrawals may affect your taxes. For more information, call us at 1-888-626-8543 for a taxable gain quote.

To cancel your policy, complete the Policy Surrender form (the form used to cancel a policy) and send it to us. Note that the cash value earned in your policy may be taxable. Call us at 1-888-626-8543 for more information and a taxable gain quote.

If your life insurance policy has lapsed, you may be able to apply for reinstatement by completing our Application for reinstatement of life insurance form. Eligibility and requirements depend on your policy and circumstances. Review the form or contact us for assistance.

To arrange pre-authorized payments, complete the Set up or change a pre-authorized debit plan form and send it to us.

To convert term life insurance to permanent life insurance, reach out to your advisor for help and more information. If you don’t have an advisor, try our Find an advisor tool to locate one near you.

Tax receipts and slips are available at the start of each new year. We mail them to you at the address we have on file. Digital tax slips are also available. Our tax receipts and slips page includes a schedule with dates slips become available.