Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Richard E. Lyng, Commonwealth of Massachusetts v. Richard E. Lyng, Coalition for Basic Human Needs, Intervenor

BOWNES, Circuit Judge.

These appeals, from a summary judgment denying declaratory relief sought by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, involve the treatment, for the purpose of calculating federal food stamp benefits, of a specially appropriated clothing allowance paid by the Commonwealth to recipients of Aid to Families with Dependent Children (“AFDC”) or on General Relief (“GR”).

The basic matter before us is the district court’s decision upholding the agency’s interpretation of the pertinent statute that the clothing allowance payments must be included as income of the recipients in…