Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-11-14

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charge Of the Pension once under the
recent re-allocation of that ONCE, there
were, on october 81, 3,178 annuitants
whose claims had not been adjudicated
between July and october 81.
Gen. Hines expects the adjudicators
Of the Pension once to have their work
current by the first Of the year. In the
meantime, however, according to Miss
Mentally, there Is hardship and down.
right suffering among those here IN
washington and elsewhere, who are due
money from the Government but cam
not get it because their claims have
not yet been settled.
One woman, Miss McNally says, was
assured her claim would be adjudicated
by November ! and her check in the
mails. On the strength Of that she con-
tracted with her grocer to take care OF
her bills when the check came. No
check has arrived, the grocer has stop
ped credit and Is asking for his money
and the woman Is in practical poverty,
Other letters come In, Miss Mentally
says, telling Of aged men In hospitals
without funds, asking for their money
that Is being held up by red tape.
Others, lowering on the brink of death,
ask the association to hurry up the
adjudication Of their claims before they
die SO that their dependents viii not
have to suffer from further red tape
caused by their death.
Trained Workers Needed.
eft is difficult to place the blame on
any one part of the Government" Miss
Mentally said today "They are all
somewhat to blame. The Pension Once
is doing everything 1t can under the
appropriations, but trained adjudica-
tors are needed for the work Of set
ting the annuitants' claims, and these
are not to be had. Extra clerks have
been put on the work, but there is q
great deal they cannot do. The work
needs trained adtudicators.
"One thing that makes the work
more difficult is the recent provision
in the law which provides that the
annuity be based on the best five years
pay while in the Government service,
instead of the last i've years, as be-
fore. Since july /, when this pro-
vision went into effect, the work OF
the adjudicators has been vastly more
complicated.
''There has been delay in checking
up the best i've years Of employment
in all departments. Records have to
be searched and in a great many in
superiors have to be written to check
no on the pay and service of annuitants,
and the various departments have not
been as prompt in getting these rec
ords and other data to the Pension
once adjudicAtors as they should be"
Miss McNally says the chief need IL
for the appropriation Of more money to
expedite the work. This, however, cam
not be done until Congress convenes In
December, and Winter, with its added
expenses, will continue to work its hard
ships.
Expect Completion Soon.
Gen. Hines says:
1.-THE present progress Of work in
dicates that the reaojudicating and re-
computing of ell anntlitants on the roll
July / will be completed by the end
Of this month, and 1t Is expected that
Indication Of claims in the retirement
division will be current before the end
Of this calendar year"
In the meantime, however, nothing
has been done to relieve the suffering
among those who have received no re-
tiremerlt pay since June or July.
In cases Of dire necessity which have
come to the attention Of the Association
of Federal Employees, Miss McNally
says the association has gone to the
Pension once and secured q speeding
up Of the work Of adjudicating that
particular claim, but,s Miss Mentally
points out, there have been many who
have not been heard from who have,
probably, been in just as dire straits.
Others. she says, have gone direct to
the Pension ONCE have revealed their
plight and had the rehabilitation Of
their claims speeded up
Undoubtedly, though, she declares,
there has been a deplorable situation
among many old people, q situation
that should have been avoided and Q
situation for which some relief should
have been offered.