Evening star., 1952-02-20
Bill Cancels Years S Residence
In District Relief Reciprocity

t96U 01ASS10 w
In District Relic
The proposed new District well
flare bill provides for reciprocal
arrangements between the Dis
ltrict and the States in paying re-
,ilief checks to recipients moving
from place to place.
i Under this system persons from
Iother States who have been on re-
lief at home and move to the Dis
ltrict would go on relief rolls here
Immediately If they met the Dis
trict eligibility rules. At present,
a years residence is one Of the
requirements for eligibility.
On the other hand, District re-
lief recipients who move to out
side States would go Immediately
on the relief rolls of the States
if they met the eligibility there.
The present practice of the Dis
trict Welfare Department Is to
continue such persons on District
rolls until they have qualified in
the States of their new residence.
In some instances this could COM
ltinue over a year.
| Welfare officials argue for the
reciprocal system on the ground
1t provides for closer supervision
of relief clients.
The District would pay resi-
dents from other States only
where it has an arrangement with
those States to pay for District
residents.
Authorizes Agreements.
The proposed bill would en-
power the District welfare agency
to "enter into reciprocal agree
ments with any State relative to
the provision of public assistance
to residents or non-residents."
No current figures were avail
able on how many District resi-
dents now are receiving relief
while residing elsewhere. Welfare
Officials made a study in October.
1850, which they say gives sub
stantially the same picture as ex-
jists today.
At that time. according to the
welfare report, 80 District resi-
dents were living elsewhere and
receiving District relief checks.
Payments averaged $43.61, per
case for a total expenditure of
| 81, ,7O0.79.
I OF the 80. a total of 80 were re-
ceiving old-age assistance, 10 were
getting aid to dependent children
and three were getting general as
siStance. it was reported.
| 70 In Maryland.
Twenty-Five of them were liv-
ing in Maryland, six in Virginia,
one in Alabama, one in Colorado,
two in Florida, two in New York,
two in Pennsylvania. one in South
Carolina, one in West Virginia,
and one in Texas.
AS contrast. welfare officials
reported that. from January
through December, 1851, the Dis
trict added to its relief rolls is
cases where non-residents had
been receiving checks from other
States until they became eligible
for relief here.
Asked how many cases were in
vestigated here monthly at the re-
quest of other States, Public AS
Isistance Supt. Donald Grey said
i21 requests are received monthly
from out-of-town agencies. He
added that that didn't mean 81
new cases q month, since many
are demonstrations. .-
Mr.. Gray said District residents
going elsewhere have received
some form Of assistance since the
program began. On November 10,
1850, he said, the Board of Pubic
Welfare gave this ruling on con-
tinuing grants: 0
Assistance may be granted to
an applicant or recipient in any
category otherwise eligible who
is absent from the, District ca if
lit is determined that his absence
is with intent to return when the
purposes of his absence are ac-
complished but not for a longer
period of time than that specified
in (b) or until the applicant or
recipient has lived within the
new Jurisdiction long enough to
meet the minimum residence re-
lquirement for assistance elibility
in that jurisdiction.
Extension of Period.
Assistance may be continued
beyond this minimum period in
cases where adequate proof is
supplied that an applicant or re-
cipient has been unable to meet
the full requirement for residence
in the new jurisdiction"
Mr.. Gray said the main rea-
sons for District residents going
to other Jurisdiction were to be
with relatives, to go into Mary
land nursing homes for the aged
or to get cheaper housing across
the District line. He said where
relief recipients Joined relatives,
relief grants could sometimes be
cut down or eliminated alto
gether.
Welfare Director Gerard M.
Shea said he believed the pro-
posed system would cost less be-
cause the Districts eligibility
ii