He singled out for criticism provisions that would limit General Assistance payments to six months for employable recipients and eliminate them entirely for undocumented aliens, saying these cuts could make thousands more homeless.

With the most employable recipients fleeing the rolls, Ms. Malcom personifies the nation's next major welfare challenge: working with the increasingly difficult cases that remain.

Among the most severe would be a 90-day limit on benefits for employable recipients and requirements that recipients pay premiums for their Medicaid coverage and a fee of up to $3 for each doctor visit.

All employable recipients are supposed to be subject to work programs, but only about a third are called to participate actively.

By the end of next year, local governments that administer the state-regulated welfare program will be required to raise the percentage of employable recipients working on public works projects or for nonprofit groups to 60 percent from 20 percent.

A 1983 government study in Pennsylvania found that 63.5 percent of "employable recipients" lacked paid employment two years after their benefits ended.

Mr. Pataki's Home Relief proposal would sharply cut non-housing benefits and would allow so-called "employable" recipients to remain in the program only 90 days in any 12-month period.

Mr. Pataki has proposed a 90-day limit on employable recipients of the welfare program known as Home Relief, most of whom are single, childless adults.

Mr. Weicker had sought to cut off employable recipients of General Assistance after six months, and to make local governments pay one-third of those welfare costs, up from 10 percent now.

One administration official said the welfare grant for employable recipients - $352 a month for a single person in New York City - might be cut by 25 percent.