Evening star., 1935-09-12
BY JOHN C. HENRY.


curity programJ
BY JOHN C. HENRY.
Designed in such way that it
would be the first Of the plans to be-
gin beneficial operation, the program
of Federal grants to States for old
age assistance was placed in title 1
of the act. For purposes OF admin
istration from the Washington end,
this program Is to be placed under the
same central division as the program
of grants to States for aid to the
blind, as outlined in title 10.
In their major respects both of
these programs are the same. Both.
for instance, are founded upon actual
need of the beneficiaries; both call for
the creation or existence Of a State
plan which must earn the approval
of the Social Security Board: both
provide for Federal grants to the
States to an amount equal to so per
cent of each individual pension up to
$50 per individual per month. In
other words, the Federal Government
will contribute as much as SIS per
month per individual coming under
the State plans.
Requirements Imposed.
Both impose certain minimum re-
cuirements which the State laws must
meet; from that point on the States
NAV be as liberal or as individual as
they choose. Among these require
mentS is one that State plan may
not impose any citizenship require
ments which would exclude any
United States citizen. Another is
that the State residence requirement
may not exceed five years in the last
nine years: one year of residence i'm
mediately preceding application may
be required
In both, Il is stated that aid eligible
to extension from the Federal fund
must be given only to needy individ-
uals in the two groups who are not
inmates of public institution. Blind
pensions must not be given to those
receiving old-age assistance. Ap-
proved State plans in each case must
contain provisions assuring a hearing
TO any person whose claim for assist
ance is refused
In the old-age title 1t Is specified
that the age limit at which old-age
assistance may begin may not be
over IS, except during the five years
up to 1910. during which a 70-year
level may be in force.
IS States Have Age Laws.
In connection with both of these
programs considerable work already
is under way in the individual States.
A recent compilation showed that 35
States, Alaska and Hawaii had old
age, pension laws, while 81 States
had blind. pension laws Since then
Congress has enacted such laws for
the District of Columbia.
Beneficiaries of these old-age State
laws totaled about 235 900 persons in
1884. In addition. the F. E. r. A.
estimates that about $50 900 persons
over the age of IS are on their rolls.
These two groups, all under the clas-
sification of needy. indicate that
Title of the new act will bring di-
rectly beneficial results to about
1000 900 persons.
Similar compilations reveal that
the State systems of blind pensions
are administering to about 30 900
persons. with an approximate maxi
mum list for the whole country Of
about 100000.
Because of their widely varying
character some of the State Isws
for these two types of relief probably
will not conform in their present
structure TO the requirements OF the
Social Security Board. During hear
ings before the House Appropriations
Committee A. j. Altmeyer, since
named a member of the board. esti-
mated that about Is of the old-age
laws and about of the blind laws
probably would require no revisions.
With the inducement Of substantial
Federal aid. however. the others are
expected to make the required changes
as soon as possible.
Old-Age-Law States.
A complete list Of those having
old-age laws follows: Alaska, Ari-
zona, Arkansas, California, Colorado,
Connecticut, Delaware, District of Co
lumbia, Florida, Hawaii. Idaho. Illi-
nois, Indiana, Iowa. Kentucky. Maine,
Maryland Massachusetts,, Michigan,
Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Ne
braska. Nevada, New Hampshire, New
Jersey. New York, North Dakota. Ohio,
Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island.
Utah, Vermont. Washington. West
Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
OF this group, Arizona, Connecticut
Delaware, Massachusetts,. Michigan.
Montana. Rhode Island and West Vir-
ginia had no blind pension laws when
the latest check was made by the
Bureau of Labor Statistics.
AS an indication of what the Fed
eral Government plans to do finan-
cially under these two titles, their ap-
preparation authorizations may be
noted. For old-age assistance, Title
authorizes a yearly appropriation of