Burke v. Public Welfare Division

Petitioner seeks review of a hearing officer’s order that tribal land payments made to petitioner’s children should be treated as income in computing the family’s food stamp grant.

The facts are not disputed. On November 30,1976, petitioner applied for food stamp benefits on behalf of herself, her husband and their five children. Four of petitioner’s children are members of the confederated tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. As such, they were entitled to receive a pro rata portion of a land claim settlement. Their initial share of the settlement totalled $599.63. In computing…