Evening star., 1941-08-29
Aqed and Blind in U. ).
Given More Aid Than
Dependent Children
McNutt Unable to
ExpIoin Wide Margin
In Relief Differences

The aged and the blind of the
country on public assistance receive
higher monthly payments than de-
pendent children, Federal Security
Administrator Paul V. McNutt dis
closed today.
Data furnished by the States to
the Social Security Board, he said,
indicated that while more than haf
of the aged and blind receiving pub
lie assistance are getting $40 or
more a month, only Is per cent OF
the dependent children get that
much.
PAYMENTS to the blind, he said,
average higher than old-age assist
ance payments, which IN turn are
much higher than payments per
child under the program for aid 10
dependent children.
Difficult to Explain.
while the higher level OF pay
ments to blind people may be ac-
counted for by the special services
heeded by sightless persons" the
administrator said, the difference
in payment for the aged and for de-
pendent children is more difficult to
explain. Requirements for food,
clothes. shelter and other basic lv-
ing expenses would seem to be as
great for children as for old people.
Moreover, since children need the
care and guidance of a parent or
other adult. the amount of their al
lovance may also have to cover the
needs of these other persons in the
home
Mr.. McNutt added that payments
of less than $40 per child are made
to 81 per cent of the children aided.
Allowances below $40 are made to
only IL per cent of those receiving
Aid to the blind and 13 per cent
Of those receiving old-age assistance.
Congress. which fixes maXimumS
on public assistance for the District,
allows maximum payment of $40
q month to a blind recipient and
$40 month to each recipient of old
age assistance here
$50 Family Maximum.
A mother and dependent child in
the District are allowed not more
than $40 a month, and each addi-
tional child is allowed not more than
s6 month. No matter what the
size Of the family, $50 is the maxi
mum aid granted to families with
dependent children here.
Since these are maximum figures,
a local welfare official explained,
any individual or family with any
income at all is given less than the
top allowance.
The average granted to families
receiving aid to dependent children
here. according to the most recent
figures, was $37.ll, regardless of the
size of the family. The average size
of families on this assistance pro-
gram was 382 persons.
Average grants under old age as
sistance were $3.50 and under as
sistance to the blind, $3059.
Number Affected Here.
Figures released by the Social Sc
curity Board in connection with Mr..
McNutt's report show that 3,452 per-
sons were receiving old age assist
duCc, a. lCCCIFIIls did " tIic Ilulu' :
and 928 receiving aid to dependent
children as of November, 1910.
Maryland was granting assistance
to 500 blind, 1899 aged and 1852
families with dependent children
Virginia was allotting payments to
1o488 aged, 1000 blind and 3,784
families with dependent children.
Plans for old-age assistance ap-
proved by the Social Security Board
are now in operation in all the
States and territories, for aid to the
blind in 43 States and territories
and for aid to dependent children
in "A States and territories
Mr. McNutt reported that 1.000.-
900 aged, $1,000 blind and $4,000
children are receiving a monthly
grant of $40 or more. Altogether,
approximately 100000 needy men,
women and children, including over
100000 aged, 1000 blind and e00,-
600 dependent children, are receiv-
ing aid under the Federal-State
public assistance program.