Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 23, 1995 TAG: 9503230085
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: Medium
The court's unanimous vote to reinstate such a policy in California came as lawmakers across the street at the Capitol argued over legislation to overhaul welfare nationwide.
Households in California would receive a higher welfare payment if nonsibling children were counted separately than if all the children living together were counted as a group. Welfare benefits rise by a smaller amount for each additional child in a household group.
Writing for the court, Justice Clarence Thomas noted that federal law gives states ``great latitude'' in deciding how to provide welfare payments under the federal-state Aid to Families with Dependent Children program.
``Although needy children will receive less in per capita benefits under the California rule, this reduction affects only children who share a household,'' Thomas said. ``California is simply recognizing the economies of scale that inhere in such living arrangements.''
The ruling reversed an appeals court decision that threw out California's policy of requiring all children in a household to be counted as a single group.
Three women who care for welfare-dependent children said in a class-action lawsuit that the policy would discourage people from caring for welfare-dependent children who are not their own.
Verna Edwards cares for her granddaughter and two grandnieces; Barbara Moore cares for her son and daughter and two orphaned grandchildren; and Vanessa Hamilton cares for her two sons and three orphaned nephews.
Counting the nonsibling children in the Edwards household separately would provide $789 per month in benefits; the California policy would reduce that to $607.
The benefits to Moore would be cut from $980 to $723; the benefits to Hamilton would be reduced from $1,196 to $926.
by CNB