Show Welfare Recipients Have Says About Program Administration Ward C C. C Holbrook Executive Director Utah Department of Health and Welfare just completed completed completed com com- interviews with re representative representative representative re- re groups of welfare recipients in six counties He talked with them at length to learn what complaints they had how they were being treated by county 0 office f f ice staff what they think of the Food Stamp Program Program Program Pro Pro- gram and medical care He also asked how many would be willing willingto to go to work if able and if opportunities were available This is the first time in Utah's history that groups of welfare recipients have been brought together for the purpose of our hearing what they have to say remarked Mr Holbrook Our findings generally give a much more favorable impression of welfare recipients than the public public public pub pub- lic often has has' Mr Holbrook who wrote the present welfare laws as a State Legislator in 1947 told each group There has been more said both for and against welfare welfare welfare wel wel- fare in the past year or two than during all of my sixteen years of welfare services in Utah He also commented up upon upon upon up- up on a meeting recently arranged with some of Utah's most prosperous prosperous pros pros- and successful business businesspeople businesspeople businesspeople people to get their views on what to do about the poor in Utah They were almost unanimous in their thinking that existing laws must be changed to allow welfare recipients to keep at least part of their earnings as asan asan asan an incentive to seek employment employment employment employ employ- ment and eventually become self supporting POOR HELP POOR This coincides exactly with the enthusiastic desires of ap approximately approximately approximately ap- ap proximately half the recipients we met Mr Holbrook said This was especially true as he has proposed a new idea that would both aid the recipients and reduce welfare costs in Utah Commenting on how the rich ich help the rich Mr Holbrook Holbrook Hol HolM brook asked would the poor be willing to help the poor He said Many elderly and disabled people go into nursing homes at a great cost to the State but I am inclined to believed beM be- be believed that many of them would not have to if they could get someone into their homes a few hours each week to prepare a warm meal do some housework and other little chores to to help When Mr Holbrook asked how many welfare recipients in each group would be willing willingto to do this help the sick or tend children whose mothers want to work- work and do it for some pay that they could keep in addition to their there grant-there was immediate and enthusiastic agreement Although the Division of Welfare Wel Wel- Welfare 1 fare recognizes only three percent percent per per- cent of its recipients recipient's as being clearly employable it is thought that more than a third of all recipients are potentially capable capable capable cap cap- able of working if welfare re regulations regulations regulations re- re and personal circumstances circumstances circum circum- stances permitted this Today 45 percent of Utah's welfare welfare wel wel- fare r recipients are dependent children and another 15 percent are mothers who care for an average of three of these child child- ren A high percentage of these mothers and some of the other otherl l I adults want training or work opportunities Elderly recipients recipients recipients told Mr Holbrook how they had worked as long as they could and would still like to work Lat now are too old or dis dis- dis- dis SOME BARRIERS Indignation was expressed by recipients in every county over several barriers to their going to work under existing law and the discrimination that comes from being known as welfare recipients The most common objection is the requirement that any earnings be deducted from the he grant It was explained that expenses of transportation maintenance of clothing and child care left recipients with less money than if they stayed home to receive welfare assistance assistance assistance assist assist- ance and made no effort to seek employment Complaints were frequently made that e ex existing x i s t tin i n g grants frozen by the Legislature at the 1966 level made it especially difficult to manage today In order to overcome this problem some w worn women o m e n repeatedly have made efforts to obtain employment employment employment employ employ- ment but could not stay off welfare welfare welfare wel wel- fare in times of medical emergencies emergencies emer emer- breakdown of a car needed in going to work purchase purchase purchase pur pur- chase of school clothing a new mattress etc There was a sincere recognition recognition recognition of the fact that welfare assistance would not be needed for long periods in many cases said Mr Holbrook but just long enough for some recipients to gain proficiency at new jobs and one or two salary increases It must be emphasized that the vast majority of these people definitely prefer being self- self supporting and I think we have an obligation to let them keep a substantial po portion r t ion of their earnings and stay on a job long en enough 0 ugh to become independent in in- in dependent PROTESTS MADE Another complaint among a majority of the recipients was about the Food Stamp Program regulated entirely by the Ule De Department Department Department De- De of Agriculture but ad administered administered administered ad- ad ministered through the Division of We Welfare 1 far e. e Recipients ap appreciated appreciated appreciated ap- ap the availability of more food but participation in inthe inthe inthe the program every month re requires requires reM re- quires too much of the grant be spent for food and does not leave enough for rent cleaning cleaning cleaning clean clean- ing supplies and other Mr MI Holbrook already has written several letters of protest to the Department of Agriculture and to Congressmen Congress Congress- men and has promised to report again this legitimate complaint of welfare recipients Virtually everyone thought the Food Stamp Program could be beneficial and more recipients of welfare would participate if the inflexible regulations did not prevail High p praise r a ai i s se e was given in every county by nearly every recipient for the courteous and dedicated efforts of the social service workers and the tors Recipients in Salt Lake County protested more strongly however the low grants ex expenses expenses expenses ex- ex of transportation and barriers against going to work They a also Iso brought to this meeting as representatives of the Utah We Welfare If are Rights Organization Organization Or- Or Attorneys Stephen L L. L Johnston and Davis S S. S Dol- Dol lowitz Their recommendation was that welfare regulations be made available to welfare re re- re Algie Ballif Director of the D Division i v I s ion of Welfare verified that something was being be being being be- be ing done about this Even though regulations are extensive under federal and state laws they are av available to anyone requesting them and will be made more widely available in condensed form SOME RUDENESS In some counties there was confusion over whether welfare recipients should pay bills sent by physicians and there were some complaints complain t s of being treated rudely by a few physicians physicians physicians who also have signed an agreement not to charge Most p phy physicians h y s sic i c i a an n s re reportedly reportedly reportedly re- re were courteous with recipients With a new Legislature about to convene Mr Holbrook assured welfare recipients that budgets have been submitted to request an increase in grants to help offset the increased cost of living He also plans to introduce legislation that will provide greater incentive for recipients to obtain training and go to work when health age and family circumstances permit this Visits were made to Utah Tooele Summit Davis Weber and Salt Lake Counties Mr Holbrook was accompanied at various times by John F Flores lores Assistant Dire Director c to r of Community Community Community Com Com- Development Salt Lake County Community Action Program Program Program Pro Pro- gram Mrs Byron J J. J Sharp member of the States State's Coordinating Coordinating Coordinating Co Co- Co- Co C Co Council o u uncil n c i 1 Mrs George B B. B Wilcox Division of Welfare b board o a r d member andfield and andfield andfield field representatives serving the counties These people were joined by a member of the welfare welfare welfare wel wel- fare board for each county Mr G. G Reed Marchant representing the Summit County Commission Commission Commis Commis- sion was present Garth Harrison Manager Public Information Services |