USA > Massachusetts > Middlesex County > Arlington > Town of Arlington annual report 1940 > Part 8
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Amount of Aid Allowed
A minimum but no maximum monthly allowance is specified for Old Age Assistance recipients. That is: Amounts over the legal minimum are left to the discretion of the local bureau of Old Age Assistance.
Section 1 of Chapter 118A specifies :
, Such assistance shall be paid by check or in cash, which shall be delivered to the applicant at his residence, if he so requests, and shall be paid semi- monthly unless the applicant requests less frequent payments ; and shall, except as hereinafter provided, be at a rate of not less than $30.00 monthly for each re- cipient or in the case of a husband and wife living to- gether, both of whom are eligible for such assistance, not less than $50.00 monthly for both, or in case of sis-
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
ters or brothers or sisters and brothers living together, all of whom are so eligible, not less than $50.00 month- ly for two and not less than $15.00 monthly for each additional brother or sister so eligible.
Miscellaneous 'Statutory Provisions .
The State department requires a revisit of all Old Age Assistance cases every three months. An applicant who makes a false statement in applying for this aid loses the benefits of this act for one year. The law provides for an ap- peal to a board at the State House by any aggrieved appli- cant. Medical care and special medicines are allowed to these recipients in addition to the semi-monthly check. They are also entitled to Federal surplus commodities. Both the State and Federal governments reimburse the Town for these cases.
Power of State to Supervise Local Administration
The Massachusetts Department of Public Welfare has supervision over the local department in Old Age Assistance cases, as in Aid to Dependent Children cases. Section 10 of Chapter 118A provides that :
The department (State) shall supervise the work done and measures taken by the Boards of Public Wel- fare of the several towns, may make rules relating to the administration of this chapter, may visit any per- son assisted, and shall have access to any records of local boards.
Failure to comply with the rules and regulations of the State department is ground for disapproval of any account (for reimbursement) .
How Old Age Assistance Is Administered in Arlington
Bureau of Old Age Assistance :- In the Town of Arl- ington the Bureau of Old Age Assistance consists of two
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TOWN RECORDS
members of the Board of Selectmen, exclusive of the chair- man, and a third member chosen by the other two. Mrs. Roscoe R. Perry, who has long been associated with welfare work in the Town, has served as the third member of the Bureau for the past three years. The welfare agent is also Supervisor of Old Age Assistance.
The members of this Bureau meet once a month at the welfare headquarters (Robbins House) at the call of the welfare agent. It is their duty to take up each new applica- tion for Old Age Assistance. If they find the applicant legal- ly entitled to this aid, and "deserving," they are empowered to fix the amount to be granted.
Application and Investigation :- An applicant for Old Age Assistance is seen first by the welfare agent, who, after a preliminary talk, refers him to Mrs. Gray, the visitor in charge of all old age cases. She interviews the applicant at length, in her office on the second floor of Robbins House. The entire personal history of the applicant is reviewed, with questions pertaining to his family, the circumstances of his children, his present financial condition, his insur- ance, cash, real estate, length of residence here, health, fraternities, etc. The visitor is obliged by law to help him fill out his application blank if he is unable to do so him- self. A copy of this application is sent to the Massachusetts Department of Public Welfare. The applicant is asked to provide a verification of his birth, citizenship papers (if he is foreign born), his marriage certificate, proof of his resi- dence for the past nine years ; and to produce for inspection any insurance policies which he may have.
After the first interview, the recipient has no direct con- tact with the welfare department, since it is the policy of the present agent to keep old age cases apart from the gen- eral welfare cases as much as possible.
Each of the adult children of the applicant receives a questionnaire concerning his ability to support his father
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
or mother. This questionnaire, like the application, is signed under the penalties of perjury. There is no personal inter- view with legally liable relatives (sons and daughters), and no visit to their homes by a worker from the welfare de- partment. Letters are sent to the postal authorities and to all local banks to see if the applicant has any deposits, has made any recent withdrawals, or has a postal savings ac- count. The previous residence of the applicant is checked, to establish his settlement (settlements are discussed else- where in this report, under a separate heading). Mrs. Gray makes an initial visit to the present residence, and makes a report on conditions found there. When the folder is complete, with documentary proofs and the visitor's re- port, it is given to the welfare agent for study.
Amount of Aid Furnished: When all the necessary in- formation is verified, the agent makes up a budget for the applicant. About $3.00 a week is allowed for room rent; $2.50 for food ; and a small amount for clothing, any special medicines that may be necessary, and incidentals. While the law states that the allowance shall be at least $30.00 a month, a number of cases actually receive less than that amount because of deductions made for other income. The average monthly payment in Arlington is between $26.00 and $27.00.
At each meeting of the Bureau of Old Age Assistance, the Supervisor presents each case individually. The first de- cision is whether or not the case is "deserving" (an habitual drunkard, for example, or a man who has been convicted of a felony, is ineligible). If this is affirmative, the Super- visor recommends a budget based on his findings. The bu- reau does not invariably approve these recommendations, but sometimes draws up its own budget. The needs of the applicant alone, and not those of his entire family, are pro- vided for. A dissatisfied applicant may appeal to the State bureau, but this happens infrequently.
In Arlington, checks are mailed to Old Age Assistance recipients twice a month, on the first and third Mondays.
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TOWN RECORDS
With the first check is sent a medical card, which must be presented at every visit to either Dr. Feeley or the clinic at the Robbins House. With the first check and twice a year thereafter is sent a slip of paper containing five regulations, failure to comply with any of which will result in a discon- tinuance of assistance. The applicant is instructed to notify the office of the receipt of any other income, of any change of address, of any visit of more than ten days' duration to be made outside the State; and warned not to surrender any life insurance policy without consulting the office.
Revisits: Although the law requires quarterly visits to all Old Age Assistance cases, these have not been made re- cently in Arlington because of the large case load. Only one visitor, Mrs. Gray, is assigned to these cases, and it would be impossible for her to visit approximately 400 cases four times a year in addition to spending two mornings a week interviewing new applicants and writing the necessary re- ports. Mrs. Gray is allowed $20.00 a month for the use of her car.
Case Loads and Expenditures
The following table shows the case load and expendi- tures for Old Age Assistance during the past eight years :
Year
Cases and settlement status
Gross Expenditures
Net Expenditures
1932
Arlington
39
$11,934.06
$ 7,044.81
Cities and towns
17
State
3
1933
Arlington
47
17,978.30
12,867.53
Cities and towns State
14
4
1934
Arlington
56
22,101.88
14,799.14
Cities and towns State
22
9
1935
Arlington
74
30,139.41
18,877.31
Cities and towns State
5
1936
Arlington
84
46,929.11
19,525.03
Cities and towns State
28
34
10
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Year
Cases and settlement status
Gross Expenditures
Net Expenditures
1937
Arlington
235
78,006.48
24,171.81
Cities and towns
59
State
41
1938
Arlington
98,556.93
22,378.28
Cities and towns
382
State
1939
Arlington
120,714.12
23,779.49
Cities and towns State
453
-
Two factors besides those contributing to the general rise in relief expenditures should be taken into account here : The marked increase in 1937 was due to the fact that the State legislation, enacted to conform with the Federal Social Security Law, reduced the minimum age limit from 70 to 65 years, and abolished many other obstacles to eligi- bility ; and to the ruling, effective January 1, 1939, which re- moved from the W. P. A. rolls all those eligible for Old Age Assistance.
Cost of Aid and Reimbursements
The cost of Old Age Assistance is borne jointly by the Town, State, and Federal governments. Until January 1, 1940, the Federal government paid one-half of an amount up to $30.00 a month for each recipient; now it pays one- half of an amount up to $40.00. The State pays two-thirds of the balance. If a case is unsettled, that is, if the recipient is unable to establish legal residence in either Arlington or some other city or town in the State, the State pays the en- tire balance after payment by the Federal government. The Town advances money for cases with settlements in other cities and towns, but is reimbursed by them for the balance left after State and Federal reimbursements (one -- sixth of the total). Likewise, the Town reimburses other cities and towns for cases with settlements here. Bills are sent to other cities and towns once every three months, and those that remain unpaid are turned over to the Town Counsel for suit.
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TOWN RECORDS
Federal reimbursements are paid through the Massa- chusetts Department of Public Welfare, to which the local agent submits monthly reports. The money thus received is set aside toward the present year's expenditure for this aid.
The following tables show how the reimbursements are applied, the first giving the figures under the former law when the Federal government paid one-half of $30.00 a month, and the second giving the figures under the present law, which became effective January 1, 1940, under which the Federal government pays one-half of an amount up to $40.00 a month. The first applied to all cases included in this report.
Prior to January 1, 1940 (based on $30 a month) Unsettled Cases Cases Settled in
Arlington Cases
Fed. govt.
$15.00
other cities, etc.
Fed. govt.
$15.00
State
15.00
Fed. govt.
$15.00
State
10.00
Arlington
Nothing
State
10.00
Arlington
5.00
Other cities
5.00
Total
$30.00
Arlington
Nothing
Total
$30.00
Total
$30.00
Beginning January 1, 1940 (based on $30 a month)
Unsettled Cases
Cases Settled in
Arlington Cases
Fed. govt.
$20.00
other cities. etc.
Fed. govt. $20.00
State
10.00
Fed. govt. $20.00
State 6.6623
Arlington
Nothing
State
6.6623
Arlington
3.331/3
Total
$30.00
Arlington
Nothing
Total
$30.00
Total
$30.00
Total Expenditures and Reimbursements
for Old Age Assistance for 1937.
1938, and 1939
1937
Total expenditures
$78,006.48
Less reimbursements :
Federal government $35,137.41
Cities and towns 1,791.48
State
16,905.78
53,834.67
Net expenditures
$24,171.81
Other cities 3.3313
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
1938
Total expenditures
$98,556.93
Less reimbursements :
Federal government $43,059.51
Cities and towns
635.49
State
32,483.65 76,178.65
Net expenditures $22,378.28
1939
Total expenditures $120,714.12
Less reimbursements :
Federal grants $53,022.55
State government
39,403.09
Cities and towns
4,093.06
Individuals
415.93
96,934.63
Net expenditures
... $23,779.49
Findings
The Old Age Assistance law, like the Aid to Dependent Children law, leaves a wide discretion as to the amount of money to be spent. While the law assures each recipient that he is entitled to at least $30.00 a month, less the amount of other income, the allowance over that amount is deter- mined by the local Bureau of Old Age Assistance. The Bu- reau has to award in each case, therefore, an amount which will allow the recipient to live, preferably in his own home, decently, but without luxuries.
The Committee finds that the Arlington Bureau of Old Age Assistance has conducted this form of relief econom- ically, humanely, and efficiently.
We are of the opinion that Mr. Cook supervises Old Age Assistance as efficiently as possible in view of the fact that there is but one visitor to take care of approximately 400 cases. New forms are being used to comply with new
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TOWN RECORDS
State regulations. The law concerning the administration of this aid has been strictly observed, except in the matter of quarterly visits; and in general the work of the department is to be commended.
There are, however, a few steps which we believe the department should take as additional precautions against granting aid to undeserving cases. We should point out that unless our first suggestion is adopted, it will be impossible for the department to carry out the third.
(1) We recommend that another visitor for old age cases be added to the department. The State de- partment recommends one social worker to every 200 cases, and at present Arlington has one visitor to handle nearly 400 cases. Obviously, the proper investigation cannot be made if the department is understaffed.
(2) The police officer assigned to the welfare depart- ment, or one of the investigators, should check the criminal records of each applicant. This has not been done in the past, but should be done to make sure that the applicant is deserving.
(3) The homes of sons and daughters should be visited, if possible, by the social workers when the appli- cation is first made. We suggest that visits be made to sons and daughters who live within the metro- politan Boston area; and that the present system of obtaining sworn statements that the sons and daughters are unable to provide be continued, and that new statements be required annually.
(4) We suggest that an investigator examine the records, at the Registry of Deeds in Cambridge, of both registered and unregistered land for five years preceding the date of application for Old Age Assistance, to see if either the applicant or the husband or wife of the applicant has trans-
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
ferred any real estate during that period in order to make himself or herself eligible for relief.
(5) We suggest that the supervisor of old age cases, if he has not already done so, obtain from the prop- er Federal bureau the names of recipients of Old Age Assistance who began to receive benefits on January 1, 1940, under the Old Age and Survivors' Insurance Law, which became effective on that date. Deductions equalling these benefits should be made from Old Age Assistance received through the Town of Arlington.
Factors Affecting Future Case Loads and Expenditures
While it is frequently said that the percentage of peo- ple requiring Old Age Assistance will continue to grow larger for many years, due to the increasing age of the population, we feel that this statement fails to take several possible factors into account, and, if too readily accepted, might invite a carelessness in examining qualifications for aid. Certainly, it does not help the morale of persons sixty- five years of age, or approaching it. While it is assuredly very difficult, if not impossile, for them to find work during periods of depression, experience has shown that persons rated as unemployable during periods of depression are frequently able to find employment when economic con- ditions improve (Fortune, October 1937). Moreover, a period of prosperity should enable many persons now re- ceiving Old Age Assistance to find private means of sup- port. However, the rolls would be slow to reflect any pick- up in business, and the possibility of a continuance of the present trend toward a larger case load should not be over- looked. Even with a moderate increase in the case load, Town expenditures should be lower for two reasons: The Federal law, effective January 1, 1940, which increases the amount of reimbursement; and the fact that a growing number of recipients will be receiving benefits under the new Old Age Insurance Law, and will therefore require a smaller amount of relief.
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TOWN RECORDS
Chapter IV
WELFARE AID
Welfare Aid, sometimes called General Relief or Tem- porary Aid, is provided for by Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 117 and the amendments thereto. The following excerpts constitute not the whole law on this subject, but the more important phases of it.
Application and Investigation
Section 1 of this chapter states: "Every town shall re- lieve and support all poor and indigent persons lawfully settled therein whenever they stand in need thereof. The ownership of a life insurance policy in an amount not ex- ceeding three hundred dollars shall not preclude relief and support thereunder if the owner of said policy is otherwise entitled to the same."
Section 3: "The Board of Public Welfare either by one of their own number or their agent, shall, at least once in every six months, visit each place where needy persons are supported at public expense, and a record of each visit and of the condition of the persons visited shall be kept."
Section 3A: "Applicant for relief shall be interviewed privately."
Section 6: "Kindred of applicant in line of father, mother, and children by consanguinity, living in the State, and of sufficient ability, shall be bound to support such per- son in proportion to their respective ability."
Section 14: "Boards of Public Welfare in their re- spective towns shall provide for the immediate comfort and relief of all persons residing or found therein, having law- ful settlement in other towns, in distress and standing in need of immediate relief, until removed to the towns of their lawful settlements."
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
Miscellaneous Statutory Provisions
Sections 17-18: Local board shall support unsettled cases.
Section 6A: "No person receiving this aid shall be dis- criminated against on account of receipt of Old Age As- sistance by another member of his family who lives with him."
Section 19: Medical aid may be furnished.
Section 29: Fixes penalty for false statement in pro- curing welfare.
Sections 30-31 : Allow recovery by the Town from the estate of a person aided by this chapter.
Section 18A: Provides for burial expense of one hun- dred dollars.
Amount of Aid Allowed
The law fixes no maximum limit to the amount of aid 1 which shall be given under this chapter.
Section 2 provides that: "The Board of Public Welfare shall have the care and oversight of all such poor and indi- gent persons-and shall see that they are suitably relieved, supported and employed, etc."
Welfare Aid as Administered in Arlington
Eligibility: Eligibility for Welfare Aid in Arlington, as elsewhere. in the State, is determined solely by need for public assistance. An applicant is not required to reside in any city or town within the Commonwealth for any par- ticular period of time. This aid is given to transients and aliens.
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TOWN RECORDS
Application and Investigation: The first step in appli- cation for Welfare Aid, as in all other types of aid, is a private interview with the welfare agent. If the applicant is needy, and has evidence of having applied for work at the local W. P. A. if he is employable, Mr. Cook turns the case over to the settlement clerk, who fills out the application blank. New forms for this purpose, recommended by the State Department of Public Welfare, have been in use since January 1st of this year. A social worker makes an initial visit to the applicant's home while the settlement clerk is establishing the settlement and obtaining other records. Notices are sent to all local banks requesting information about deposits and mortgages. The Boston postmaster is sent a letter, signed by the applicant, requesting that in- formation concerning any postal savings that he might have be sent the Town. If the applicant is employed or partly employed, his employer is asked to submit a report on the amount of wages paid him in the preceding ten weeks and on the duration of the work. A letter is also sent to all legal- ly liable relatives (sons, daughters, father, or mother), in- quiring as to their ability to support, or to help to support, the applicant. Only in special cases is a visit made to these relatives, even when they are Arlington residents.
All applications for aid-whether accepted or rejected -are set out in a master index. Besides the initial visit paid by the staff social worker, a visit is made by the police of- ficer assigned to the department, his primary purpose being to find whether aid is being fraudulently sought. The Town subscribes, at the rate of $25.00 a year, to the Social Service Index, an organization founded as a clearing house for social agencies in Boston, which is now serving some of the suburbs as well. Applications for aid in Arlington are sent to the Index, which returns photostatic records of any aid previously given in Boston or in other cities and towns. This service has proved very helpful, especially in cases not settled in Arlington. At the present time, private agencies, other than the Social Service League, within the Town, are not checked unless the agent has reason to believe that the applicant is receiving aid from one of them.
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ARLINGTON TOWN REPORT
A police officer has been assigned to the Welfare De- partment since May 1, 1933, his entire time being taken up with the investigation of welfare cases. He makes three re- ports on each case, one to the Selectmen, one to the chief of police, and one to the welfare agent. Until 1937, he in- vestigated other forms of relief as well. Infrequently, per- haps once or twice a year, Welfare Aid recipients are brought into court, but, considering the case load, this is a negligible percentage.
Real Estate, Insurance, and Cash: The law concerning Welfare Aid does not state whether or not a recipient may own real estate. The Town follows the recommendation of the State Department of Public Welfare in allowing a re- cipient to keep his own home, providing that the carrying charges-taxes, water, insurance, etc .- do not exceed the normal rental allowed relief recipients. This is about $30.00 a month. Neither the law nor the regulations set any maxi- mum value to the house which may be owned by a relief re- cipient; each case receives individual consideration ; usually ownership of an equity of $2500.00 or $3000.00 does not preclude the granting of Welfare Aid.
The visitor examines all insurance policies to see if there is a cash surrender value, if the applicant is too heavily insured, and if there are any sickness or disability clauses of which he may take advantage. When Section 1 of the welfare law was amended in 1934, the following clause was added : "The ownership of a life insurance policy in an amount not exceeding three hundred dollars shall not preclude relief and support hereunder if the owner of said policy is otherwise entitled to same." The usual allowance for insurance is twenty-five cents a week for an adult and ten cents a week for a child.
Established need is the only requisite for this form of assistance. An applicant must be entirely without funds.
Amount of Aid Furnished: The law, as previously stated, although requiring that needy persons be "suitably relieved", sets no minimum amount of aid.
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TOWN RECORDS
Welfare Aid is given in the form of grocery orders, fuel, rent, clothing, medical care, and some cash.
Food allowances are determined by the semi-annual surveys of living expenses made by the Community Health Service in Boston (discussed under Aid to Dependent Chil- dren). At the present time, twenty-two independent grocers in Arlington are given the welfare business. They are is- sued a list of staple foods which may be sold to persons pro- ducing a welfare grocery order; foods not on this list are considered luxuries and will be disallowed by the depart- ment. Grocery orders are given out on Fridays at the Rob- bins House by the disbursing clerk. These orders are made out in triplicate ; the original is given to the recipient, who in turn presents it to the merchant; the duplicate is sent to the Town Accountant's office; and the triplicate' is kept in the welfare office, to be checked with the merchant's slip when it is submitted for payment. If the grocery order is for less than $9.00, the recipient receives a voucher for $1.00 in addition; if it is for $9.00 or more, the recipient re- ceives a voucher for $2.00. These sums are to cover carfare and other incidentals. The recipients take these vouchers to the Town Accountant's office, where they are initialed, and then to the Town Treasurer's office for payment (signature of a receipt is required). No currency is handled by the wel- fare department itself.
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