Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1936-03-26
MANY CHANGES PROPOSED In
OLD AGE PENSION LAW


Proposals for changes in Ohio's
old age pension law, now pending
in the state senate, are outlined by
Margaret Curran, administrator, in
charge Of this county's old age pen
sion office. The changes have been
recommended for passage by the f.
nance committee of the senate.
One of the important changes rec
commended is an amendment to
raise the maximum monthly pension
award from s25 to $50 month.
This is in conformity with the ma
tional social security law. Anoth-
er would repeal that provision of
the law making it mandatory that a
recipient of aid transfer any prop
erty he owns to the division of aid
for the aged, to be held in trust to
reimburse the state for aid given.
A new section of the law would be
enacted making it optional with the
pensioner whether he will transfer
his property to the state. If he does
not transfer it, then the fact that
he owns property shall be taken in
to consideration when the investiga-
tor is computing the income of the
applicant for pension, five percent
of the value of the property held by
the applicant being considered as an
income from the property. This
will be deducted when a pension
grant is made. For illustration: A
pension applicant owns home val
ued at $1,000. He does not want to
transfer title to the state in trust
when he seeks pension. Inyes-
tigator will figure out what is a fair
award on which the pensioner could
live if he did not own his own home.
Say that is $500 year. Then from
that the investigator must deduct
$50 year as fair income for the
applicant from his property, and
thus the maximum award possible
in such case would $50 year.
This amendment will be retroactive
if enacted, and all persons who have
transferred property to the division
in the past will have chance to
elect whether they want the division
to retain it in trust, or return it to
the pensioner. In either event,
such case will be re-opened for
possible readjustment of award.
The check of person who takes
property back may be decreased un-
der the new amendment, while the
nd fn 4
erty in trust may be increased
Another amendment would make
it mandatory that any insurance in
excess of $3.50 held by a pensioner
be put in trust for the state to re-
imburse itself for pcret2i,- 9ciI
from the excess following the death
of the recipient of aid
Still another change affects resi-
dents of fraternal and other private
homes for aged eligible for pen
The law at present denies pensions
to such residents who have decided
property to the homes in exchange
for a contract for maintenance for
life. In a number of cases, how
ever, it has been shown by the
homes that the amount of such
property has been exhausted for
care of the donor. 1t is proposed
to amend the law to provide that in
such cases, pension shall be
awarded. Another proposed change
affects the amounts to be paid by
the state 70" the funerals of pen
sioners. At present the division is
permitted to allaw an amount equal
to not more than the total of four
monthly pension checks as paid to
the pensioners. Thus, if pension
er died who had received $40 a
month, the state would not pay
more than $40 for the funeral. An
amendment would provide for max
imum funeral payments of $50, and
leave the actual amount in each
case to the discretion of officials
of the division OF aid for the aged.
One other proposed change affects
the prosecution OF relatives of needy