Insurance is a contract: it pays to the listed beneficiaries, and to those beneficiaries only. If your mother was the one who took out the policy, paid the premiums, and was the sole benefiary, then she was the only one entitled to the proceeds of the policy. A non-beneficiary has no right to insurance payments. You could have had your own insurance--for your belongings at least, even if not on the home itself--to protect you.