Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-08-06
Senator Doubts
National Figure
On IneIieibIes
BY BETTY JAMES
Star staff Writer

relief rolls spanked a Nation
wide check by the Department
of Health. Education and We'll
fare, said today a deeper
probe" than the one HEW con-
Quoted would have turned up a
much higher rate of Ineligible
ties throughout the country.
Senator Byrd, Democrat of
West Virginia and chairman
of the Senate District Appro-
priations subcommittee, said
the District investigation was
conducted by trained investi-
gators, while the HEW investi-
cation was conducted by social
workers.
The District showed a rate
Of ineligibility of 59.7 per cent
among families in the Aid to
Families with Dependent Chill
dren category. The national
average of all the States, ex-
Guiding the District. was 5.4
per cent, with variations for
individual States.
HEW released the results Of
the investigation last week. The
HEW survey was ordered by
the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
Explanation Called "HOkum"
The contention Of well
meaning people" in the District
that stringent regulations here
accounted for the high rate
Of ineligibility is purely
hokum," Senator Byrd said.
He cited final figures for an
Eother investigation in the Dis
trict, into the Aid to the Per-
manently and Totally Disabled
category, in which 80 per cent
of the recipients checked were
found ineligible.
IT doubt that it can be said
by anyone that regulations
governing eligibility for APTT
! are more stringent in the Dis
trict than in any other juris'
diction," the Senator said. II
addition. these cases are sup,
! posed to be carefully screened
. by social workers and are re.
quired to be approved as per.
manently and totally disabled
by both a medical social work.
er and a doctor before receiv.
ing aid under this program, he
added.
In spite Of "the detailed re-
views that should have been
made 5. most of the ineligible
recipients had resources avail
able to them which were ample
to cover their needs" Senator
Byrd said.
Although the Senator said
some worthwhile results came
from the HEW check, it was
clear he was dissatisfied with
some of their methods and with
the incompleteness Of some of
the data presented.
GAO Report Awaited
Until the General Account
ing Office, which took part in
the Nationwide survey, files its
own report in about six to eight
weeks, "the validity and depth
of the HEw survey cannot be
judged" he said.
Senator Byrd defended the
record Of his home State, West
Virginia, and criticized the rec
ord Of North Carolina, where
DR.. Ellen Winston, the Nations
first welfare commissioner, was
welfare director before coming
to Washington last January.
West Virginia had the high
lest rate Of ineligibility Of any
State. 1t was 17.3 per cent.
The reason for this, Senator
Byrd asserted. is that West
Virginia's investigation was
more complete and closer to
the Districts than in other
Estates.
The West Virginia welfare
ldirector familiarized himself
with some Of the investigative
|techniques used in the Dis
trict. and West Virginia trained
its social workers in investiga-
tive techniques, he said. Also,
Iabout eight or 10 former State
troopers worked as investiga-
tors in West Virginia. the Sem
ator added.
Acquired Know-HOw
"As a result of this training
and experience. the staff in
West Virginia probably &C
quired the know-how to better
detect ineligibles in the pro-
gram" Senator Byrd said.
Not only is the rate of ineligi.
bility q factor In an investiga.
ton, but underpayments Of re-
lief grants and overpayments
OF grants are serious too. Sena-
tor Byrd said.
HEW said the District was
not included because an inyes-
tigation had already been con-
Quoted here. Yet Or. Winston
refused TO compare the two In
vestigations because they were
conducted under very different
types Of procedures"
Senator Byrd said he left the
matter OF the inclusion OF the
District entirely TO the discre-
ton Of HEW.
Then he added. "As I look
back upon the results / wish
that the District had been In