Evening star., 1956-12-08
Review Is Ordered
Oh Relief Standards
District Gronts
6.4% Increase
In Payments

amount OF money necessary to
keep District relief recipients in
good health has been ordered by
the Board Of Commissioners.
Meanwhile, the city heads APP
proved an increase effective
January /, from 78 per cent to
83 per cent in payments under
the standards adopted in 1858
by the now defunct Board of
Public Welfare.
The extra money, estimated
to raise payments to individual
reliet recipients by Ga per cent,
will result from a raise in Fed
eral matching funds under a
law passed by the last session
of Congress.
| The decision to increase pay
ments was estimated to wipe
|out a potential saving to the
District of $348.000 a year.
The increase came as the re-
suit Of a request by Welfare
Director Gerard M. Shea to in
crease payments from 7S per
cent Of the departments mimi
mum substance standard to IS
per cent. using the increased
Federal payments and savings
from decreased pay load.
Examine Standards
At an afternoon board meet
ing yesterday, the Commission
ers made their first examination
of the standard which the Well
fare Department says is the
minimum needed to keep relief
recipients alive and in good
health.
Commissioner David B. Karrick
called it "awfully lean," provid-
ing only a "meager existence
Brig. Gen. Thomas A. Lane.
Engineer Commissioner, said he
had accepted the 78 per cent as
reasonable for the last two years,
but had not studied 1t.
He proposed that the stand
ard be reviewed and said that
/ if he accepted it as the neces-
Sary minimum. he would vote
to pay 100 per cent of it, and
to cut the District budget else
where to make up the difference.
Gen. Lane insisted that I'VE
should decide what they ought
to spend and then pay 100 per
cent"
STA Million More
Mr.. Shea told Commissioner
Karrick it would cost the city
$1.4 million more in relief spend
ing to pay 100 per cent of the
present standard.
He warned it would take time
to restudy the present stand
ards, but Gen. Lane commented
that if the study were completed
by the time Congress considers
the city's budget for next year,
the Commissioners would be able
to revise their request then.
Gen. Lane said the standard
ought to be set periodically. with
an automatic allowance for in
creases in the cost of living.
The study is to be made by
the Welfare Department, and
submitted to the Citizens Ad-
visory Council and to the Com
missioners.
Earlier, General Administra-
ton Director Schuyler Lowe had
urged that the payments be in
creased from 78 per cent to 80
per cent which. with the new
Federal matching formula, would
save the District $204.0 900.
He said that 83 per cent Of the
present formula is the most the
District could pay without asking
for a supplemental appropria-
tion from Congress next year.
Present Standard
The Welfare Departm e n I
standard allows SAG month to
one person. who cooks his own
meals. This is broken down to
provide $50 for food. $40 for
clothing, $6 for personal and
household needs. The standard
also allows SAT to such person
for rent. heating fuel. utilities
and refrigeration.
Under the old formula, re-
cipients Of old-age assistance
were getting s52.53 a month. OF
this. $22.29 was in District funds
and $30.25 in Federal funds.
Under the new SO per cent ar
rangement, such a person will
receive a total Of $55.89-$21.71
from the District and the rest
from the Federal Government.
Average payments for aid TO
dependent children will total
$ll2.93 (s38.51 local and the rest
FederaD. Payments have to-
tailed $l06.14 ($40.87 local and
$65.27 Federa1.
Average payments for aid TO
the blind will total S65.25 as
compared to $60.3s at present,
and aid TO the permanently and
totally disabled win total $685.
as compared to S61.61.
General public assistance pay
mentS will average Se5.74. as
compared 10 161.79. This cate
CORY comes entirely from District
funds. without Federal matching
payments.