Life insurance company finally pays family, six months after death

PINELLAS PARK, Fla, (WFLA) – A Pinellas Park family finally has the insurance money their mother left to them when she died six months ago.

“We are so happy we finally have the money,” said Paula Cicarelli. “We are paying some bills.”

Lydia Cicarelli passed away in April, and her family has been trying to collect on her $6,200 death benefit ever since.

Lydia paid for the policy years ago so that her family would have money to pay for her funeral expenses. Her daughter says the funeral cost the family about $9,000, and they were not expecting it to take so long to make up the money through insurance.

The family says when they reached out to Prudential Financial Life Insurance, they were repeatedly told the check would be to them within three to five days. But the check never came.

That’s what they knew they’d Better Call Behnken. After a call from Consumer Investigator Shannon Behnken, a corporate representative called the family with an apology and a promise to send the money.

Days later, the check arrived.

“I was so surprised when the check really did arrive,” Paula Cicarelli said. “We’re happy this is over.”