If you are not the executor of her estate ( also called personal representative) then you have no authority to disperse funds from her estate. Your mother is still alive? I would not recommend paying the bills----I mean, they will be glad to take her money, but you don't know which creditor will actually bring an action against the estate. I would wait to find out-----and since you have no legal right to do so, I would not . ( do you have power of attorney?----POA ends with the persons death, so being the POA isn't the same as being executor).

Does mom have a will?