LOS ANGELES COUNTY : Most of Supervisors Back Changes in Welfare Rules

A majority of Los Angeles County supervisors said they would support a proposal to allow the county’s welfare recipients to share housing with another person, save $1,500 and earn $200 a month without having their grants reduced.

General Relief recipients, whose monthly grants were slashed to $212, also would be permitted to earn another $400 a month with only minor grant reductions.

The proposed changes would cost the county an estimated $4 million, far less than the $70 million it would cost to restore the monthly grants to their pre-September level of $293.

But the board delayed approving Supervisor Gloria Molina’s proposal until Tuesday, despite pleas by homeless advocates, who said the cuts left many unable to pay for shelter in cold and rainy weather. The delay will give county attorneys time to prepare a report on the financial and legal repercussions of the policy changes.