what is a widow s allowance 
a widow s allowance also known as a widower s allowance or spousal allowance is money or personal property that a spouse and or children receive after their loved one s death to meet their immediate needs a state statute or probate court determines the amount of the allowance which is set aside to protect the surviving partner and family of a deceased person from financial hardship during the administration of the deceased s estate1 the relevant jurisdiction may have an established limit dictating the length of time during which these benefits can be disbursed determining the allowance amountthe amount of the allowance is either fixed by state statute2 or determined by court on the basis of the deceased person s estate the amount decided by the court is typically proportional to the size of the estate the allowance is likely to be higher if the deceased person was wealthy and left behind a large estate than if the size of the estate is modest the amount of this allowance may also be impacted by the age and dependency status of any children the couple may have2 a widow s allowance aka spousal allowance is time limited unlike a recurring survivor s benefits eligibility