Rawston v. Commissioner of Public Welfare

In each of these three cases the Department of Public Welfare (department), which is the State agency that administers the Massachusetts Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, denied the plaintiff applicant’s application for AFDC benefits. In separate administrative appeals, department referees concluded that the applicants were not “living with” their dependent children in homes maintained by the applicants as required by 106 Code Mass. Regs. § 303.230 (A) (1987). Therefore, they affirmed the department’s denial of AFDC benefits. The applicants brought separate actions in…