My in-laws were duped into buying one of the shame insurance policy about 20 years ago. The type Alex T advertises on TV. Now that my father-in-law has passed away we could really use the money for my mother-in-law. They are being very difficult to deal with, requiring a mountain of paperwork to pay out the claim. We had no problem with the state retirement people or the SSI people. Since my wife has to handle her parent's affairs (she is the POA) these people have been the most difficult to deal with.
Bankerslife allowed me to sign an affidavit that I would send them the original policy when I found it. With the death certificate (I got 10 right from the beginning), they paid no problem. I later found and mailed the policy
MInnesota life required me to provide the original policy. It took a month of digging thought mountains of crates...but, I found it...and filed. Then they paid, no problem
I have a suspicion you might not have found the original policy? Given it is sooo old, I would bet it is lost forever or buried deep in the papers of a lifetime. Keep looking
"For most Americans, income averaging is a thing of the past. However, if you are in the farming business as an individual or as a partner in a partnership or a shareholder in an S corporation, you can still income average; but farming corporations, the farming partnership itself, the farming S corporation itself and a farming trust cannot income average. Even if you qualify, you can only average over three years, not five."