Show Predicts Assistance Grants Drop A prediction that fewer than 10 per cent of all people 65 and andover andover andover over will be receiving public assistance assistance assistance as as- grants next year was made this week by Wilbur J. J Cohen Under Secretary of Health Education and Welfare to Morris Bunnell director of the Sanpete County Dept of Public Welfare Both the number of recipients and their proportion in their population population pop pop- group have declined remarkably remarkably re re- remarkably re- re since 1950 Mr Cohen said In that year 23 per cent of the 65 or over group 28 million received payments This year only 11 per cent 21 million are receiving them Next years year's figure will bring the percentage to an time all-time low Part of this decline can be attributed to the number of people people people peo peo- 65 and over who are now collecting the Social Security benefits they earned during their working careers Mr Cohen said Under Secretary Cohens Cohen's remarks remarks remarks re re- re- re marks were prompted by findings findings findings find find- ings of a nationwide study of Old-Age Old Assistance recipients by bythe bythe bythe the Welfare Administrations Administration's Bureau of Family Services The study found that the typical ty- ty typical typical ty ty- recipient of State Federal Old-Age Old Assistance payments isa is isa isa a widow in her mid who lives in her own home and has received aid for about 6 years The study begun in May 1965 involves about 21 million per- per receiving aid They have a median age of 76 The vast majority majority majority ma ma- about 90 per cent have no children contributing to their support are not eligible for veterans' veterans benefits and have no private health insurance Slightly more than two-thirds two 75 per cent are are women the thelast thelast thelast ago when white Five years last such study was made two two- third were women and 79 per percent percent percent cent were white Of the 14 million women inthe in inthe inthe the current study two-thirds two are widows 40 receive Social Security Security Security Se Se- benefits and 40 have never held a paying job Of the men 57 are receiving Social Security 27 27 are widowers and about half had been farmers farm workers and laborers Fully 85 per cent of the OM recipients in the study have no nomore nomore nomore more than an eighth grade edu edu- cation The proportion of recipients who are so feeble that they are confined to their homes has de- de decreased de decreased creased from 20 to 17 per cent since 1960 However this decline probably results not so much from an improvement in fu health but from the fact that during the year five-year period some 40 states began programs of medical assistance assistance assistance as as- for the aged to which thousands of OM recipients living living living liv liv- ing in nursing homes were trans trans- For the same reason the proportion of recipients living in their own home rather than an institution has risen from 64 per percent percent percent cent to cent Of those who gave information about their health more than half 56 per cent reported arthritis 40 per cent reported high blood pressure 29 per cent have heart trouble and 18 per percent percent percent cent are blind or almost blind The average Old-Age Old assistance assistance assistance assist assist- ance payment received by the two million is 63 a month Additional Additional Additional Ad Ad- income from such sources as Social Security and earnings averages 28 a month bringing the total to 91 This is about 10 higher than the average average average aver aver- age total payment received by people in similar circumstances in 1960 The rise is caused mainly mainly mainly main main- ly by a 10 increase in average Social Security benefits The proportion of all OM recipients recipients recipients re re- re- re who receive Social Security Security Security Se Se- benefits increased from 30 to 45 per cent during the five- five year period At present about one-half one of all recipients receive Social Security benefits Mr Cohen said The proportion who have income of any kind increased from 60 to 66 per cent Along with the increase of ci city dwellers in the general population population population tion the number of OA OM recipients who live in metropolitan areas is increasing from 43 per cent to 46 per cent The State Federal-State Old Old Age Age Assistance Assistance As As- program was authorized in 1935 under Title I of the Social Security Act ct The aim of the program is to help older people who are in need remain in their own homes and participate in the life of the community The decline de de- cline in the number and rate df aged persons receiving Old Old Age Age Assistance is one of the notable achievements of recent years Mr Cohen said 1 Each state decides the amount of money an Old-Age Old Assistance recipient needs for food clothing clothing cloth cloth- ing shelter and other basic nee nee- In deciding whether anold anold an anold old person is eligible for assistance assist ance and if so how much he should receive the state is required re- re reI retA I tA to take into consideration any income or resources he has The broad principle laid down dawn by Congress is that recipients must be needy but need not be destitute When an aged person has less income than his states state's defined standard of need it is intended that a public assistance payment will make up the dif die ference However about half of the states do not pay enough to meet their own definitions of financial fl Ii need |