Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-12-02
RELIEF

Continued From First Page
raised the same questions with
these results:
In comparison with averages
for the nation as a whole, there
are fewer people per thousand in
each category Of relief here than
elsewhere, with one notable ex-
Iception-aid to the totally dis
abled.
payments by the District for
public assistance, as of January,
1855. represented II cents for
each person in the total District
population. This compares with
80 cents for the Metropolitan
Area and $1.38 for the country
as a whole.
The eligibility requirements
appear to be similar and in some
cases stricter than in some COM
parable cities although there is
some inequality in qualifications
which the Welfare Department
has sought unsuccessfully to
change through new legislation.
National Average Is Higher
The District is currently pay
ing less to its recipients of old
age assistance and aid to the
blind than the national average
and more than the national
average to families receiving aid
to dependent children, and to
the totally disabled and general
public assistance.
These national averages, how
ever, apply to States as q whole
and take in rural as well as city
relief loads. An August, 1856.
comparison Of payments for gen.
eral public assistance in Is cities
showed an average Of $75.70
monthly per case compared to
$61.37 here.
In that study, the District
payments to recipients on gen.
leral public assistance were less
than those of Buffalo, Chicago,
Detroit. Milwaukee. New York.
Pittsburgh, Rochester and Phil
adelphia. District payments were
la few cents more than the aver
age in Boston and about So
more than the average in
Baltimore.
Relief Payments Criticized
District relief payments have
been widely criticized here
because they represent only 70
per cent of the carefully CAL
culated standards for minimum
subsistence. Once the worker
figures out the minimum on
which q family can subsist, %
per cent is then deducted.
Last week, Welfare Director
Shea asked the Commissioners
to increase the p1 yments to IS
Iper cent Of minimum living
costs. He said the increase
could be paid without costing
the District any more money
than it is currently authorized
to spend on relief payments.
He explained that the Federal
share of payment to States for
relief purposes has been in
creased and he wants to pass
this increase on to relief recipi-
IentS. Also, he said. the increased
welfare staff and the operation
of the new investigation service
has held the average monthly
caseload TO 1882 or SO cases be-
low the budgeted estimate.
249o Gain in Aid for Aged
How does the District stack up
with the rest Of the country on
the size Of its relief load in this
period Of maximum prosperity?
Federal figures show that in
the decade from 1945 to 1855,
the number of people receiving
Iold-age assistance increased "a
per cent. In the District, the av-
lerage number Of aged on relief
in fiscal l945 was 1859. BY fiscal
1856, this average had increased
to 3,069, or 10 per cent.
Nationally. aid to dependent
children rose 100 per cent from
l945 to 1855. In the District.
an average Of 571 families were
receiving aid to dependent chill
dren in fiscal 1915. The high
came in fiscal 1855 when an
average Of 1895 we're getting aid
to dependent children or an in
crease Of 308 per cent. In the
past fiscal year, that was cut TO
2.08l families.
Nationally. aid TO the blind
increased ~ per cent in the de-
n = pEIIEE EN