how is a widow s allowance different from a will 
a widow s allowance is determined by court or state statute whereas a will is determined by an individual s own preferences as stated in a legal document though the actual benefits that is what a spouse receives when a loved one dies may be similar the difference is how the benefits are determined who decided them and when the bottom linea widow s allowance is a benefit of money and or property distributed to a surviving spouse and or children when a loved one dies unlike a will or social security benefits it is determined by a state statute or by a court it is designed to support a family in the short term during a difficult time 