Thornsberry v. State Department of Public Health & Welfare

285 S.W.2d 77, 1955 Mo. App. LEXIS 258
CourtMissouri Court of Appeals
DecidedNovember 4, 1955
DocketNo. 7471
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 285 S.W.2d 77 (Thornsberry v. State Department of Public Health & Welfare) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Missouri Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Thornsberry v. State Department of Public Health & Welfare, 285 S.W.2d 77, 1955 Mo. App. LEXIS 258 (Mo. Ct. App. 1955).

Opinions

McDOWELL, Presiding Judge.

This appeal is from a judgment of the Circuit Court of Camden County, Missouri, reversing and remanding for redetermination the decision and order of the Director of the State Department of Public Health and Welfare (hereinafter called Director) made August 2, 1954, removing Flora B. Thornsberry from old age assistance rolls because the actions of the Director were arbitrary and unreasonable.

The respondent had been receiving old age assistance benefits since October, 1938. After reinvestigation of respondent’s eligibility to continue on the old age assistance rolls by the Division of Welfare she was removed from the rolls in February, 1954, on the basis that income of the home was sufficient to meet the needs of the household. Respondent appealed and a hearing was had before a Referee July 13, 1954, thereafter, the Director of Public Health and Welfare, on August 2, 1954, ruled that from a consideration of the evidence in the case, claimant was not in need of public assistance and ordered the decision of the Camden County Welfare Office removing claimant from old age assistance rolls ap-approved and the judgment affirmed.

The cause was appealed to the Circuit Court of Camden County where the court reversed the judgment and remanded the cause for redetermination of the issues by the Director. From this judgment the cause comes to this court on appeal.

From the decision and order of the Director it appears that the method followed by the Division in determining eligibility for public assistance benefits is to make an investigation and prepare a household budget which shows, among other things, the total income and resources of the claimant and members of the family and the total necessary expenses of the family, and if the income and resources exceed the necessary expenses, the claimant is not eligible to receive public assistance benefits. The Director stated in his decision that this method has been held by our appellate courts to be a proper manner of applying the social security law to a given case. Citing Kelley v. State Social Security Commission, 236 Mo.App. 1058, 161 S.W.2d 661; and Smith v. State Social Security Commission, Mo.App., 153 S.W.2d 741.

The record shows that on February 1, 1954, the Division made a reinvestigation of respondent and all surrounding facts and circumstances, the members of the family unit, the earnings, income, and resources thereof, and the necessary expenses of respondent’s family unit, consisting of respondent, her daughter, Fay Thomas, and granddaughter, Helen Thomas, to determine her eligibility to continue receiving public assistance benefits. From the facts obtained in this reinvestigation, a household budget was prepared, (which is in evidence as Division’s exhibit 1). It showed the net monthly income of the family unit to be $220.98 and the total necessary monthly expenses to be $157.03 plus $37.59 necessary expenses for respondent and that there remained a surplus of $26.36. Upon the information shown in this budget the Division removed respondent from the rolls in February, 1954. An appeal was taken from the order of the Division to the Director. After the appeal, on May 3, 1954, a second reinvestigation was made by order of the County Director which budget is in evidence as Division’s exhibit 2.

[79]*79In the first budget the case worker considered only the respondent, her daughter, Fay Thomas, and granddaughter, Helen Thomas; she failed to include Glenn Thomas, a son of Mrs. Thomas, who is 21 years of age and attending the University of Missouri in his Senior year. She stated she learned there was a son but, because he was 21 years old and because she was of the opinion he was in school under the G.I. Bill of Rights, she did not consider him as a member of the family. The budget of May 3, 1954, showed the net monthly income of the family to be $258.38 and the total expenses $199.78 plus $37.59 allowable expenses for respondent, which showed a surplus of $21.01.

After due notice by the Director the cause was heard before the Referee July 13, 1954. Claimant did not appear because of her physical condition but was represented by her attorney, Claude T. Wood, and her daughter, Mrs. Fay Thomas. At this hearing evidence was heard and thereafter upon the record there made, the Director made a findings of fact and rendered his decision and order affirming the action of the Division in removing respondent from the rolls-.

The Director’s findings of fact are as follows:

“Claimant, 85 years of age, lives with her daughter, Fay Thomas, in Rich-land, Camden County, Missouri. Mrs. Thomas has two children, a boy, Glen, age 21 and a third year student in engineering at the University of Missouri, and a daughter, Helen, age 16 and a high school junior. Mrs. Thomas is regularly employed. The son is employed during school vacation, and the daughter has an income of about $16.00 monthly as well as $18.80 old age and survivors insurance. The county welfare office prepared a budget dated February 1, 1954, showing the income and allowable expenses. This budget was identified and introduced in evidence and showed the net monthly income in the household as follows: Mrs. Thomas, $209.73 and Helen, $18.-80 old age and survivors insurance; dr a total income of $228.53, less expense of producing income for Mrs. Thomas of $7.55, leaving a net monthly income of $220.98. Allowable monthly expenses are $194.62. There was no showing of need for public assistance. At the hearing a budget dated May 3, 1954, was identified and introduced in evidence. The only difference in- the two budgets was a showing of the income of the son and his personal requirements. There was no showing of need on this budget. At the' hearing it was learned that there was additional income of $16.00 earned by the daughter which had not been taken into consideration. Had this additional income been used in -the preparation of the budget, it would only have shown a larger surplus, and no need for assistance. An item of expense called Income Margin was allowed on each budget. This is 20% of the net income in the home and is included to meet expenses not allowable on the budget. Only 80% of the net income is budgeted to meet the expenses of the household. It is found there is sufficient income in the home to meet the needs of the family of claimant’s daughter and to furnish to claimant a subsistence compatible with decency and health.” '

The judgment of the Circuit Court entered on the 16th day of May, 1955," found and adjudged that the judgment of the Director of Public Health and Welfare was arbitrary and unreasonable because Director used and applied a “standard budget” as prepared by the Division of Welfare to be used for all persons of the same classification without regard to the actual need of claimant and her family and without determining whether the “standard budget” was applicable and proper in the locality of the residence of claimant’s family so as to meet the needs of said family, compatible with decency and health; and because the Director refused to consider the needs of Glenn Thomas, a grandson and member of claimant’s family, while [80]*80he was attending Missouri University, but used and applied, the “standard budget” and made the same allowance for said son’s expenses whether he was staying in the home or attending Missouri University at Columbia. The trial court stated that he based his judgment upon a decision of this court in Hagy v. State Department of Public Health & Welfare, Mo.App., 259 S.W.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Garrett v. State Department of Public Health & Welfare
558 S.W.2d 679 (Missouri Court of Appeals, 1977)
Rossomanno v. Laclede Cab Company
328 S.W.2d 677 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1959)
Thornsberry v. State Dept. of Pub. Health & Welfare
295 S.W.2d 372 (Supreme Court of Missouri, 1956)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
285 S.W.2d 77, 1955 Mo. App. LEXIS 258, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/thornsberry-v-state-department-of-public-health-welfare-moctapp-1955.