Missing Beneficary Form

[Collins1078]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Kentucky

My wife's uncle just passed.
He had a small 20K free life insurance policy from his employer.
The company just changed insurance providers within the last 90 days.
They said he doesn't have a current beneficary form on file for the new provider although they do have one on file for the previous provider.

They stated they will not pay because the form is missing.

I would think that in the absence of a beneficary form the money would go to his estate or to the closest kin. Can they legally withhold the money because the beneficary form is missing?

If the insurance co is obligated to pay the policy; would it pay to the closest kin or to his esate in the absence of a beneficary form?

Would closet kin be Father or Eldest Daughter?

His previous beneficary was listed as his father which he submitted when he began his employment 6 months ago.



Thanks for any advice

[Dandy Don]

They will pay the estate so that it can go to the man's legal surviving heirs, which if there is no surviving spouse, will be his daughter only, assuming there is no last will and testament.