My father was manager of communications in Omaha ,Nebraska. He passed away in 1997. My mother remarried and did NOT accept the retirement pkg. She was due. I am his daughter and have no income and no resources. I want to apply for my father's retirement. I'm 57 yes. Old. Possibe????

Hi. If the "retirement package" you're referring to is Social Security, then the answer's no. Social Security is a social insurance program, not an individual retirement account. The money that people pay into the Social Security program is a tax, and the taxes collected go into a fund that's used to pay people who meet the requirements for retirement, disability, or survivor benefits. When a person dies, they don't leave behind an individual account with funds that can be distributed to survivors.

However, if a person dies after paying into Social Security long enough to be insured for benefits, then eligible family members can potentially be paid survivor benefits based on the deceased person's account. The only way that a child of the deceased can qualify for survivor benefits is if they are unmarried and they are either under age 18, 18 to 19 and attending high school, or at any age if they became disabled prior to age 22. Therefore, the only way that you could potentially be paid benefits based on your father's Social Security contributions is if you became disabled prior to age 22, you're unmarried, and if you haven't done any substantial gainful work since age 22 (https://www.ssa.gov/OP_Home/handbook/handbook.04/handbook-0410.html).

Best, Jerry