Opinion ID: 1828146
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Should petitioner be denied assistance under sec. 49.002, Stats.?

Text: Respondents argue that the legislature, pursuant to the enactment in 1969 of sec. 49.002, Stats., [5] has expressed a policy that an otherwise eligible person who was presently willing but unable to find employment should be denied relief because he had voluntarily left private employment sometime in the past. Sec. 49.002 provides: Legislative declaration. It is declared to be legislative policy that all recipients of general relief shall have maximum exposure to job training and job opportunities through the Wisconsin state employment service as well as other government agencies. Refusal of a bona fide offer of employment or training without good cause, or acceptance and subsequent inadequate performance through wilful neglect, shall necessitate that local, municipal or county welfare officials discontinue general relief payments to such individual. Any Wisconsin taxpayer shall have standing in the circuit court for the purpose of obtaining an injunction to enforce the policy set forth in this section. All personnel shall do their best to get individuals off general relief and into selfsupporting productive jobs. Sec. 49.002, Stats., establishes a condition for continued eligibility for general relief, not a bar to initial eligibility. The legislature has indicated that those recipients who have available a job opportunity should not be considered eligible for general relief. Those recipients that refuse a bona fide offer of employment without good cause, or who accept and inadequately perform through wilful neglect will be considered to have the available means of self-support and shall have their general relief discontinued. The recipient is given a choiceconform your conduct to the work requirement, or your general relief will be discontinued. General relief represents the last means of subsistence for those who have no other means of obtaining the necessities of life. It appears to us that the express purpose of sec. 49.002, Stats., is to encourage relief recipients to obtain private employment so as to become self-supporting. While a dependent person is entitled to general relief, he may be assigned to a work project [6] or referred to private employment or job training. [7] Such activity and direction by welfare authorities tends to implement the declarations set forth in sec. 49.002. Sec. 49.002, Stats., establishes conditions, and those receiving general assistance must comply with them. It is undisputed in the present case that petitioner is willing to conform to the requirements of the statute. We do not believe that the single voluntary termination of employment by petitioner could or should be construed as a pattern of voluntary terminations indicative of the absence of willingness to conform to the provisions of sec. 49.002. We are of the opinion that petitioner is a dependent person as defined by secs. 49.01 (4) and 49.02, Stats., and should not have been denied assistance under sec. 49.002. Once arriving at this conclusion, we do not reach the other issues raised on this appeal. By the Court. Order reversed and cause remanded with directions to grant the relief requested by petitioner.