Welfare Offices’ Errors, Burdens

The two recent Times articles about welfare--one on the enormous lines outside the Southwest office and the other on L.A. County’s high AFDC error rate--illustrated how overburdened the welfare system has become. What concerns me, though, is that the Department of Public Social Services is not moving toward a solution. On the contrary, it is moving away from one.

What will happen when DPSS closes the three welfare offices in the South Bay (Harbor, Long Beach and San Pedro), as well as the office in Paramount, and forces recipients and applicants to travel to a new magnet location in Rancho Dominguez, just south of Compton? With the accompanying staff reductions, this move will mean very long commutes (often requiring three different buses) and even longer waits. Also, with all of the South Bay descending on the Rancho Dominguez office, it’s likely the fire code will again be violated, sending recipients and applicants into the street to wait. The irritation and exasperation levels rise with every additional hour--and additional day--of waiting in the sun. And what happens when it rains?

DPSS blames its exceptionally high error rate on an overburdened staff and staggering caseloads. And yet its answer to the budget crunch is to reduce staff, the very same staff whose excess work loads prevented them from noticing the $121.5 million in overpayments. More money spent on staff wold pay off in fewer errors and would mean fairer treatment for those who apply for and receive benefits.

MELANIE STEPHENS

Associate Director for Advocacy

Southern California

Interfaith Hunger Coalition