Q. My father was a retired U.S. postal carrier. My mother was receiving his survivor benefits. My mother passed away and the funeral director is asking for the civil service number. My mother had direct deposit, and the bank said it doesn’t have this information. I have not located this information in going through her files. Where can I go for this information?
A. You’ll find that number on the annual statement of annuity paid, sent to her by the Office of Personnel Management. In the second box on the top line is her Social Security number; next to that is her account number. That form should be among the material she used to file her 2012 federal income tax.