Number on Welfare Continues to Increase : Economy: Experts point to loss of jobs, Northridge quake as factors. Slowdown in Medi-Cal cases provides a more upbeat sign.

By JULIE FIELDS

Dec. 28, 1994 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

The number of Ventura County residents on welfare, which has more than tripled since 1988, continued to rise in 1994 despite indications that the economy is slowly beginning to improve.

“We’re hearing that the economy is picking up, but generally the welfare caseloads are the last place that any improvement hits,” said Helen Reburn, the county’s welfare director.

“We’re talking about people who have even a more difficult time finding jobs due to a lack of skills,” she added.

In November, 92,619 people in Ventura County received some form of welfare or other government assistance, compared with 88,344 in the same period a year ago.

There are, however, some encouraging signs.

Although the largest welfare program--Aid to Families with Dependent Children--has grown steadily, the rate of increase in Medi-Cal cases appears to be slowing.

From 1993 to 1994, there were 2,766 new Medi-Cal cases, a considerable drop from the 13,118 new cases of two years ago.

And despite the overall increase in the county’s rolls, the number of single adults collecting welfare declined for the second year in a row, falling from 461 in January, 1992, to 252 in November.

County officials credit that drop to a program started in 1992 that provides the poor with job training, drug treatment and other services.

Reburn said a loss of jobs is the primary reason that Ventura County’s welfare cases have continued to climb, even as those in Los Angeles County have stabilized in the last six months.

Another is a change in state law allowing one parent to work part-time while still receiving reduced benefits.

“That keeps the family together,” she said. “Previously, a lot of fathers chose to leave the home so the rest of the family could get aid.”

In Ventura County, Santa Paula experienced the sharpest increase in welfare cases this year. County figures show that 9,482 residents--more than one-third of the city’s population--were collecting welfare, food stamps or Medi-Cal last month.

Teresa Elenes, manager of the welfare office in Santa Paula, said the Northridge earthquake may have contributed to the 10% increase by displacing some Fillmore and Piru residents.

“There was more housing available in Santa Paula,” she said. “The transition from Fillmore to Santa Paula would be a lot easier for people who like this kind of environment versus moving to Oxnard or Ventura.”

In Piru, the number of people collecting welfare dropped slightly from 276 to 248 during the past year, while in Fillmore, the figure increased from 4,323 to 4,393.

Elenes said waiting periods have grown longer in the Santa Paula office because there are not enough interview rooms where families can speak privately with caseworkers.

“It bottlenecks because we have to have a private area to see people,” she said. “We can handle the cases with the number of people we have here; we just don’t have any space.”

On a recent afternoon, the small waiting room with 30 chairs was about half full.

Consuelo Ceta, 49, cradled her young grandson as her husband, Alfonso, reapplied for Medi-Cal.

Alfonso had worked at a manufacturing job earlier this year until he was injured in an accident with the company’s truck, his wife said.

“There’s no work,” Consuelo Ceta said of Santa Paula. “We have no money and we’re asking my relatives for a loan.

“If it doesn’t get better, we’ll have to move.”

Nineteen-year-old Barbara Marquez stood near the door waiting to reapply for a Medi-Cal card. Marquez, who receives AFDC, said she needs medicine to treat depression caused by a thyroid problem.

“Lately, I’ve been real depressed,” she said. “Plus, I need to take the kids to the doctor for their checkups.”

Workers at nonprofit agencies in Ventura County say they’ve seen no drop in the number of people asking for help.

Dan Williams of Food Share said the Medfly quarantine imposed this fall has meant a loss of some agricultural jobs.

“Those individuals who would have been picking crops or working on the packinghouses, they’re out of work,” he said. “The quarantine has really negatively affected this Ventura County area.”

In 1993, Food Share distributed 12 million pounds of food that reached about 127,000 people a month. Much of that went to families on food stamps, he said.

“Quite frankly, the food stamp program is not enough to cover them for a month,” he said.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Aid Recipients Number of people receiving all forms of welfare in Ventura County: *

1994: 92,619

1993: 88,344

1992: 79,971

1991: 60,392

* Figures prior to 1991 are unavailable.

Number of people receiving assistance through the largest welfare program--Aid to Families with Dependent Children:

1994: 31,073

1993: 29,098

1992: 25,763