THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 6, 1994 TAG: 9412060570
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DAVID M. POOLE, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
Gov. George F. Allen hopes to save $80 million over the next five years with welfare reform proposals that would include requiring able-bodied recipients to work up to 32 hours a week and terminating a family's full benefits after two years.
The plan, which Allen will unveil Dec. 15, goes beyond a handful of tough measures enacted by the Democrat-controlled General Assembly last year and promises to be a central issue in the legislative session that will begin in five weeks.
At least one key Allen administration official said Monday that she thinks welfare reform will skate through the legislature.
``I expect this to be the most noncontroversial piece of legislation before the General Assembly this year,'' said Kay Coles James, Allen's secretary of health and human services. ``Everybody thinks we should reform welfare.''
Lt. Gov. Donald S. Beyer Jr., a Democrat who led a two-year study on welfare reform, said he likes what he has seen so far.
``They have gone farther than we have,'' Beyer said, ``and I think it's basically a positive direction.''
Nationwide, Democrats and Republicans alike have seized upon the notion of overhauling a system that has ensnared the underclass in a cycle of dependency.
Allen is following a national GOP prescription that calls for prodding people off welfare rolls by curtailing benefits that some perceive as a disincentive to gainful employment.
Last year, the General Assembly took the first step toward welfare reform by approving a pilot program that imposed a two-year limit on benefits and stipulated that mothers on assistance could not get more benefits by having more children. Allen would incorporate those proposals - which have yet to be implemented - into his proposal. It also calls for:
Requiring those who receive food stamps, aid to dependent children and other benefits to work up to 32 hours a week in a private-sector job or for a nonprofit agency.
Terminating benefits for parents if their teenage children do not attend school.
Requiring unwed teen mothers to live at home and continue school if they receive benefits.
Mandatory paternity tests before unwed mothers get benefits.
Allowing unwed mothers to keep certain benefits if they marry.
Turning over the collection of child-support payments to private companies and denying hunting and fishing licenses to delinquent fathers.
The outline of the Allen plan is contained in an application for waivers from federal welfare eligibility guidelines.
Administration officials estimate that welfare reform could save $80 million over five years, the largest savings coming from the termination of benefits after two years.
The proposal would make no major, up-front investment in job training, day care or other government services to help welfare recipients make the transition to gainful employment.
No budget figures are available, but James - the health and human services secretary - said she foresees no major increase in state-sponsored day care, even though thousands of welfare recipients would need someone to look after their children while they fulfilled their work requirements.
James said that welfare recipients would have to fend for themselves with the help of family, friends, churches and schools.
Lt. Gov. Beyer cautioned that administration officials may be fooling themselves about short-term costs.
``There are significant savings down the road, but to be realistic about it, someone has to take care of those kids,'' Beyer said.
``Affordability for day care is a huge problem,'' he added. ``Affordability is an issue for middle-class families, much less for women on ADC.'' ILLUSTRATION: ALLEN'S PLAN
Recipients would have to work up to 32 hours a week.
Benefits for parents would end if their teenage children did not go
to school.
Unwed teen mothers would have to live at home and stay in school.
All unwed mothers would have to get paternity tests. Those who
married could keep certain benefits.
Private companies would collect child-support payments, and
delinquent fathers would be denied hunting and fishing licenses.
KEYWORDS: WELFARE REFORM GOVERNOR ALLEN by CNB