There's a wrong name, age or detail in my policy — how do I get it corrected?

Ask the insurer in writing to correct the mistake, attach proof of the right detail, and ask for the correction to be issued as an endorsement to your policy. A request to correct a mistake in the policy document is a service request with a short regulatory turnaround. If the insurer does not act, write again and make it a formal complaint.

A wrong date of birth, a misspelt name, a wrong vehicle number or a missing family member can all become an argument when you claim. It is easier to fix before a claim depends on it; afterwards, it can turn into a dispute about what you declared.

Work out where the mistake is

• In the schedule only: If your proposal form was right and the schedule is wrong, ask for a correction and send a copy of the relevant page of the proposal.
• In the proposal form too: If the proposal itself was wrong — filled in by someone else, or a slip you made — say so plainly, explain how it happened and give the correct detail with proof. The insurer may look at the corrected facts again before agreeing.
• A detail that has changed since: A new address or a change in the risk is not a mistake but a change. One insurer's health wording asks you to notify material changes in the risk in writing at each renewal.^[1]
• You never received the proposal form: The insurer must give you a copy of your proposal form with the policy document within 15 days of accepting the proposal. Ask for it — you need it to see what was recorded.^[2]

How to ask for the correction

1. 1

   Write to the insurer

   Use the insurer's service email, portal or branch. Give the policy number, the wrong detail as it appears, the correct detail, and say that you want the correction issued as an endorsement.

2. 2

   Attach proof

   For a name or date of birth, an identity document; for a vehicle, the registration certificate; for a family member, proof of the relationship. Keep copies of everything you send.

3. 3

   Know the turnaround

   IRDAI's Citizens' Charter lists post-policy service requests about mistakes or corrections in the policy document as a standard service, with a turnaround of 7 days in its life insurance table, and one general insurer's published service standards give the same 7 days for health and motor. Insurers must deliver requested services within the specified turnaround time.^{[3, 4, 5]}

4. 4

   Get the endorsement

   The correction should come back as a written endorsement. One insurer's wording says any change it makes must be evidenced by a written endorsement signed and stamped — until you have that, treat the policy as unchanged.^[1]

5. 5

   Do not pay a servicing fee

   Insurers and their distributors may not charge an additional fee for servicing your policy, except for services the regulator has specified.^[5]

Specific cases

• Age in a life policy: Section 45 of the Insurance Act does not stop a life insurer calling for proof of age at any time if it is entitled to, and adjusting the terms once a wrong age is proved. Correct a wrong age early, with proof.^[6]
• Vehicle details and NCB: One insurer asks you to report any error in vehicle details or No Claim Bonus within 15 days of receiving the policy, for correction. Check a motor policy as soon as it arrives.^[7]
• Nominee: A nominee change is registered by the insurer; a nomination recorded in the schedule, or in an endorsement accepting the change, counts as the insurer's acknowledgement.^[5]

If the insurer does not correct it

Under IRDAI's definition, a simple request is a service request, not a complaint. If nothing happens within the turnaround time, write again and say clearly that you are making a complaint. The insurer must then acknowledge it immediately and should resolve it within 14 days.^{[5, 8]}

If the insurer rejects your complaint, does not reply within a month, or replies unsatisfactorily, the Insurance Ombudsman can consider policy-servicing grievances, and complaints that a policy was issued out of line with the proposal form you submitted.^[9]

ClaimAssure is an independent private platform. It is not an insurer, IRDAI, Bima Bharosa or the Insurance Ombudsman, it never files anything on your behalf, and it cannot promise any outcome. What it does is read your documents and show you what they say.

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