Evening star., 1952-03-13
Relief Payments
In nNuInbersC,ase
Probed byShea
Welfare Chief Says
System Is Virtually
Free of Frauds

pletlOn OF an investigation of re.
lief payments to a 40-year-olc
woman charged with taking mum.
bers bets.
The welfare chief, at the same
time, defended his agency's recorc
on relief frauds. pointing out thai
only six fraud cases have beer
submitted for prosecution in the
last nine months.
Mr.. Shea yesterday temporarily
suspended relief payments to Mrs
Mildred Stannard, colored, who
was arrested on Tuesday, after
an undercover man said he made
numbers plays over a two-week
period in her home. Mrs. Lydia
Wilson, AZ. colored, also was ar
rested in room she shared with
Mrs. Stannard on Logan Circle
NV.
The city, since last May. has
been paying Mrs. Stannard be-
tween $43.20 and $49.50 a month
for total disability. She also re.
ceives a $19 monthly civil service
annuity. Welfare officials sale
the medical reasons for her dis.
ability cannot be disclosed.
Investigation Underway.
Mr.. Shea said he was very
much disturbed by the case anc
that an investigation already /.
under way. Donald Gray. super.
intendent Of the Public Assistance
Division, also expressed concern
But the welfare officials pointed
out that more than 1000 relief
checks totaling up to $45O,OO(
or more go odt every month. Anc
they estimated that less than
per cent are questionable"
The city's relief payments ir
the last fiscal year totaled more
than SAT- million.
Mrs. Stannard has been get.
ting less than the maximum dis.
ability payment, which is $68.4(
monthly. This is partly because
OF her pension. Her living ar.
rangements, including rent, alst
figure in the amount and explain
the variation in the payment.
since May.
Regulations prohibit relief pay.
mentS to persons engaged in ar
unlawful business. But if Mrs
Stannard, on investigation, i.
proved to meet other qualifica.
tions, her relief status might &C.
tually have to be reinstated, de.
spite her arrest and even subse.
Quent prosecution, MIR. She's
pointed out.
Jailing Ends Payment.
This IS because relief eligibilit,
takes no account of past crimina
records or arrests, the welfare di.
rector explained. Unless the eligi.
BILE person is actually in Jail, re-
lief must be paid. under the law.
Mr.. Shea and Mr.. Gray salt
their agency receives tips ever,
day from suspicious persons, re-
porting what they consider pos
sible elief-fraud cases.
And numbers cases, they ad
mitted, crop up once in while
usually through police action. Blu
these are not frequent, they said
Mr.. Gray estimated overpay
ment cases at not more than l0I
a year. Calling this number low
he said this is because the agency
Investigations are good" Ane
he addedl
Our eligibility requirements ar,
so rigid you've got to be dowr
and out before you get anything
to begin with"
No Mink Coat Gases.
Most overpayments. he sale
occur in the cases Of temporary
recipients. such as persons whit
have been i'll and who fail to motif,
the agency when they return t.
work. Some occur simply through
error, he said. :
I'VE haven't run into any mini
coats" the relief superintendent
declared.
Overpayments in the last fisca
year numbered about 100 ant
amounted to about $4,000, Mr.
Gray reported. OF these, only nine
amounting to $3.50, were deter.
mined to be fraud, and only twt
|of these actually reached court
One recipient paid back the money
and the other six cases wer,
dropped for lack of evidence.
A sizable portion of the over
payments has been recovered, Mr.
Gray said.
In granting assistance, the cit,
requires a wide variety of infor
nation from applicants. This in
cludes all income. bank accounts
business activities, contribution
received, court orders, employ
ment, insurance, shelter costs ant
family status. Recipients agree t,
report any change in these cir
cumStanceS within five days.
Repayment Provided.
They also must agree to repa,
any money obtained by misrepre
lsentation. Fraud makes then
liable to prosecution.
The welfare agency has no in
vestigators other than an espe
cially assigned assistant corpora
ton counsel. Case workers ar,
required to check personally OF
each disability recipient at leas
once q year, and on old-age ant
blind cases, every six months
however.
Police Boord Continues
Indecent Exposure Case
The police trial board hearing
80 nxyk D~~~.