Holcomb

The facts of the original dispute between appellant county and the recipient of aid for needy children have no relevance on this appeal; that is to say, whether the recipient was entitled to aid and how much are not the crux of the appeal. The question is, did the recipient have a right to a hearing; if so, do procedural errors and omissions require a reversal?

Charles Morris was granted aid to needy children on December 8, 1965. He failed to report the amount of his earnings for the month of December, and the Madera County Welfare Department discontinued aid on January 4, 1966. On January 14, 1966, he was reinstated under the same program, but on January 28 the county again terminated his aid for failure to list any employer or any earnings during the previous period.

Morris, as recipient, requested a hearing before the State Department of Social Welfare, to review the county orders terminating aid. A hearing was held on March 17, 1966, before a referee, who submitted to the Director of the Department of Social Welfare of the State of California a proposed decision that Morris “is qualified to receive Aid to Families with Dependent Children—-Unemployed. ’ ’

The director…