Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1952-02-17
Bill by Postore Would Simplify
Many Angles of Public Relief !

Public Relief
Qualities children in certain cate
lgories who are more than is.
In its uniform prescription for
amounts to be paid in relief, the
Pastore measure states the sum
shall be sufficient when added to
the income and resources deter
mined to be available to him to
provide him with a minimum SUBJ
sistence compatible with health
and well-being."
Law ON Blind Is Vague.
This language is at least as spe-
cific as that found in the existing
laws. which in the case of the
needy blind, for example, vaguely
states that the sums shall be "for
the purpose of maintaining. sup
porting and caring for <. -
| Reciprocal agreements between
the District and the States are
authorized in the new proposal.
At present the District must con-
tinue payments to it's relief re-
cipients who leave the city until
they are able to qualify for relief
in another Jurisdiction. Under the
proposed setup, District reliefers
would go on the relief rolls OF
their new home State on arrival.
The District would do the same
for incoming relief recipients.
This would save a lot Of paper
work and long distance checking
necessary now.
Eligibility for emergency relief
would be liberalized. Because vel
| fare workers now are liable for
any relief payments which may
later prove to be unjustified, pres
ent welfare board policy is that
careful - and time consuming -
investigation be made before even
emergency payments are author
lied.
The Pastore bill would permit
the granting Of emergency pay
Iment after only a preliminary in
vestigation. pending completion
tof a full investigation. This pro-
viso lifts the financial RESPONSE
bility from the case worker, so
long as his efforts are pursued
honestly and in good faith.
For the first time, the welfare
board would be allowed to use
volunteer workers. Those might
include graduate students seeking
field work, or charitable citizens
who might want to give clerical
or clinical assistance to the board
The board would be authorized
to file suit for recovery of assist
ance payments from relatives OF
relief recipients who may have
been avoiding their legal obliga-
ton to support their needy kin.
| Court Order Provided.
The board, moreover, would
have the power to petition for a
Municipal Court order requiring
a relief recipients relatives to con-
tinue to pay for the support OF
their kin. This court order, &C.
cording to the proposed bill, would
be enforced Gin the same manner
as If it were an order for alimony
lin a divorce case"
Present laws require only that
relatives of those receiving old age
assistance and the needy blind
may be sued by the welfare board
for payments. None of the pres
emit laws empowers suit to force q
responsible relative to continue
supporting his needy kin.
Relatives are defined in the
new proposal as spouse. parent OF
child. Grandchildren are included
in the relatives category in the
present old-age and needy blinC
laws, and would be dropped be-
cause Of the remoteness of the re-
lationship. according to welfare
officials.
| Another provision in the Pas.
tore bill would permit the welfare
board to review any case in all
assistance categories as frequently
as necessary. This clause woulc
free the board from its present
statutory requirement of review.
ling old-age assistance cases every
lsix months.
/ A welfare board spokesman
pointed out that the elderly rep.
resent the biggest single assistance
,Isategory. Moreover. their qualifi.
cations for relief are least likel,
to change. Consequently. THEN
cases require re-examination only
lat relatively long intervals.
j The proposed clause thus woulC
h