term:

Entitlement

entitlement n

1 : the state or condition of being entitled
: claim [evidence of victim's to money seized "National Law Journal"]
2 : a right to benefits that is granted esp. by law or contract (as an insurance policy) NOTE: Some courts have held that entitlements are a property interest and therefore subject to procedural due process under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments to the U.S. Constitution when denied by federal or state governments.
3 : a government program that provides benefits to members of a group that has a statutory entitlement
;also
: the benefits distributed by such a program

Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©1996. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.