Dependents of Unemployment Compensation Claimants in Delaware

U N E M P L O Y M E N T C O M P E N S A T I O N i n this country represents payment for a p a r t of the wage loss suffered dur ing unemployment . A n unemployed worker , except i n the D i s t r i c t of Co lumbia , receives a weekly benefit based only on his past wages, and f a m i l y responsibilities p lay no p a r t i n the determinat ion of benefit r ights . I n the D i s t r i c t , f r om $1 to $3 a week is added to the benefit amount i f the worker has certain specified dependents. I t is significant, however, t h a t d u r i n g the past 3 years more than a dozen bills re lat ing to dependents' allowances were introduced i n the legislatures of M a r y l a n d , M i c h i g a n , N e w Y o r k , and Oregon. 1 The N e w Y o r k State Adv isory Counci l has recommended dependents' allowances. A M i c h i g a n b i l l p rov id ing such benefits lacked only a few votes for enactment i n February 1942. T h e W a g n e r M u r r a y D i n g e l l b i l l (S. 1161 and H . R . 2861) includes provisions for payment of dependents' benefits for the short term risks of unemployment and temporary d isabi l i ty as wel l as for the longterm risks of old-age and permanent d isab i l i ty . Because of th is interest i n dependents' al lowances, the Delaware employment security agency undertook a survey of the number and characteristics of c la imants ' dependents i n December 1941 and of the relationship between benefits and fami ly responsibi l ity. A l t h o u g h data on fami ly responsibi l it ies were available f rom the decennial census, the N a t i o n a l H e a l t h Survey, and the F a m i l y Composit ion Study , there were no accurate data on dependents of unemployment compensation claimants. The Delaware s tudy was intended to determine whether the c la imant group differs i n composition f rom the populat ion at large and to w h a t extent the existing benefit formula reflects f ami ly responsibilities. Since the s tudy was carried on against a background of discussion of specific proposals for the inclusion of dependents' benefits i n unemployment compensation, i t was designed to throw some light on the issues involved i n these discussions. One major policy question concerns the types of dependents t h a t should be included. Definitions of dependents i n the bil ls mentioned above vary widely . Some declare merely t h a t benefits shall bo payable w i t h respect to "dependents . " Since, however, the most common provision l imi ts the definition of dependents to wives and children, the fol lowing analysis gives part icular attent ion to these dependents. A t the same t ime, recognition of the fact t h a t there are other classes of persons dependent on claimants suggested the desirability of obta in ing comprehensive in format ion on the whole question of f a m i l y responsibilities of claimants.