[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 230 (Thursday, November 29, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71204-71207]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-28891]
[[Page 71204]]
=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and
Comment Request
The Social Security Administration (SSA) publishes a list of
information collection packages requiring clearance by the Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with Public Law 104-13, the
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, effective October 1, 1995. This notice
includes revisions to and extensions of OMB-approved information
collections.
SSA is soliciting comments on the accuracy of the agency's burden
estimate; the need for the information; its practical utility; ways to
enhance its quality, utility, and clarity; and ways to minimize burden
on respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or
other forms of information technology. Mail, email, or fax your
comments and recommendations on the information collection(s) to the
OMB Desk Officer and SSA Reports Clearance Officer at the following
addresses or fax numbers.
(OMB), Office of Management and Budget, Attn: Desk Officer for SSA,
Fax: 202-395-6974, Email address: [email protected].
(SSA), Social Security Administration, DCRDP, Attn: Reports Clearance
Director, 107 Altmeyer Building, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD
21235, Fax: 410-966-2830, Email address: [email protected].
I. The information collections below are pending at SSA. SSA will
submit them to OMB within 60 days from the date of this notice. To be
sure we consider your comments, we must receive them no later than
January 28, 2013. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection
instruments by writing to the above email address.
1. Application for Widow's or Widower's Insurance Benefits--20 CFR
404.335-404.338, & 404.603--0960-0004. Since SSA needs information to
make a formal determination for entitlement to widow(er)'s benefits, we
use Form SSA-10-BK to determine whether an applicant meets the
statutory and regulatory conditions for entitlement to widow(er)'s
title II benefits. SSA employees interview individuals applying for
benefits either face-to-face or via telephone and enter the information
on the paper form or into the Modernized Claims System (MCS). The
respondents are applicants for widow(er)'s benefits.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average Estimated
Number of Frequency of burden per total annual
Modality of completion respondents response response burden
(minutes) (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-10-BK--paper version........................ 5,000 1 15 1,250
SSA-10-BK--MCS version.......................... 449,000 1 14 104,767
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total....................................... 454,000 .............. .............. 106,017
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Statement for Determining Continuing Eligibility Supplemental
Security Income Payment--20 CFR 416.204--0960-0145. SSA uses Form SSA-
8202-BK to conduct low and middle error profile telephone or face-to-
face redetermination interviews with Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
recipients and representative payees (RP). The information SSA collects
during the interview is necessary to determine whether SSI recipients
met and continue to meet all statutory and regulatory requirements for
SSI eligibility and whether they received, and are still receiving, the
correct payment amount.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average Estimated
Number of Frequency of burden per total annual
Modality of completion responses response response burden
(minutes) (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-8202-BK..................................... 6,633 1 21 2,322
Modernized SSI Claims System.................... 71,444 1 20 23,815
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total....................................... 78,077 .............. .............. 26,137
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Notice Regarding Substitution of Party Upon Death of Claimant--
Reconsideration of Disability Cessation--20 CFR 404.917-404.921 and
416.1407-416.1421--0960-0351. When a claimant dies before we make a
determination on that person's request for reconsideration of a
disability cessation, SSA seeks a qualified substitute party to pursue
the appeal. If SSA locates a qualified substitute party, the agency
uses Form SSA-770 to collect information about whether to pursue or
withdraw the reconsideration request. We use this information as the
basis for the decision to continue or discontinue with the appeals
process. Respondents are substitute applicants who are pursuing a
reconsideration request for a deceased claimant.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average burden Estimated total
Modality of completion Number of Frequency of per response annual burden
responses response (minutes) (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-770..................................... 1,200 1 5 100
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 71205]]
II. SSA submitted the information collections below to OMB for
clearance. Your comments regarding the information collections would be
most useful if OMB and SSA receive them 30 days from the date of this
publication. To be sure we consider your comments, we must receive them
no later than December 31, 2012. Individuals can obtain copies of the
OMB clearance packages by writing to [email protected].
1. Reporting Changes that Affect Your Social Security Payment--20
CFR 404.301-305, 404.310-311, 404.330-.333, 404.335-.341, 404.350-.352,
and 404.468--0960-0073. When Social Security beneficiaries experience a
change that could affect their payments, they must report these changes
to SSA. Title II beneficiaries in this category use Form SSA-1425 to
report the relevant information to SSA; the agency then determines if
the respondents continue to be entitled to benefits, and if so, the
proper amount of these benefits. The respondents are Social Security
beneficiaries receiving title II SSA retirement, disability, or
survivor's auxiliary benefits who need to report an event that could
affect their payments.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average burden Estimated total
Modality of completion Number of Frequency of per response annual burden
responses response (minutes) (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-1425.................................... 70,000 1 5 5,833
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. State Supplementation Provisions: Agreement; Payments--20 CFR
416.2095-416.2098, 416.2099--0960-0240. Section 1618 of the Social
Security Act (Act) contains pass-along provisions of the Social
Security amendments. These provisions require states that supplement
Federal SSI payments to pass along Federal cost-of-living increases to
individuals who are eligible for state supplemental payments. If a
state fails to keep payments at the required level, it becomes
ineligible for Medicaid reimbursement under title XIX of the Act. SSA
uses the information to determine a state's eligibility for Medicaid
reimbursement. Respondents are state agencies administering
supplemental programs.
Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information
collection.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average
Number of Frequency of burden per Estimated
State reporting method respondents response response total annual
(minutes) burden (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Expenditures.............................. 7 4 60 28
Maintenance of Payment Levels................... 24 1 60 24
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total....................................... 31 .............. .............. 52
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Substitution of Party Upon Death of Claimant--20 CFR
404.957(c)(4) and 416.1457(c)(4)--0960-0288. An administrative law
judge (ALJ) may dismiss a request for a hearing on a pending claim of a
deceased individual for Social Security benefits or SSI payments.
Individuals who believe they may be adversely affected by the dismissal
may ask to be a substitute party for the deceased claimant by
completing Form HA-539. The ALJs and the hearing office support staff
use this information to (1) maintain a written record of the request;
(2) establish the relationship of the requester to the deceased
claimant; (3) determine the substituted individual's wishes regarding
an oral hearing or decision on the record; and (4) admit the data into
the claimant's official record as an exhibit. The respondents are
individuals requesting to be a substitute party for a deceased
claimant.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average burden Estimated total
Modality of completion Number of Frequency of per response annual burden
responses response (minutes) (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HA-539...................................... 4,000 1 5 333
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4. Continuation of SSI Benefits for the Temporarily
Institutionalized--Certification of Period and Need to Maintain Home--
20 CFR 416.212(b)(1)--0960-0516. When SSI recipients (1) enter a public
institution or (2) enter a private medical treatment facility with
Medicaid paying more than 50 percent of expenses, SSA must reduce
recipients' SSI payments to a nominal sum. However, if this
institutionalization is temporary (defined as a maximum of three
months), SSA may waive the reduction.
Before SSA can waive the SSI payment reduction, the agency must
receive the following documentation: (1) A physician's certification
stating the SSI recipient will only be institutionalized for a maximum
of three months and (2) certification from the recipient, the
recipient's family, or friends confirming SSI payments are needed to
maintain the living arrangements to which the individual will return
post-institutionalization. The respondents are SSI recipients, their
family or friends, and doctors.
Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information
collection.
[[Page 71206]]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average burden Estimated total
Modality of completion Number of Frequency of per response annual burden
responsdents response (minutes) (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Certifications from physicians and other 60,000 1 5 5,000
respondents................................
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
5. Privacy and Disclosure of Official Records and Information;
Availability of Information and Records to the Public--20 CFR
401.40(b)&(c), 401.55(b), 401.100(a), 402.130, 402.185--0960-0566. SSA
established methods for the public to: (1) Access their SSA records;
(2) allow SSA to disclose records; (3) correct or amend their SSA
records; (4) consent to release of their records; (5) request records
under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA); and (6) request SSA waive
or reduce fees normally charged for release of FOIA. SSA often collects
the necessary information for these requests through a written letter,
with the exception of the consent for release of records, for which
there is Form SSA-3288. The respondents are individuals requesting
access to, correction of, or disclosure of SSA records.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average Estimated
Number of Frequency of burden per total annual
Modality of completion responses response response burden
(minutes) (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Access to Records............................... 10,000 1 11 1,833
Designating a Representative for Disclosure of 3,000 1 120 6,000
Records........................................
Amendment of Records............................ 100 1 10 17
Consent of Release of Records................... 3,000,000 1 3 150,000
FOIA Requests for Records....................... 15,000 1 5 1,250
Waiver/Reduction of Fees........................ 400 1 5 33
---------------------------------------------------------------
Total....................................... 3,028,500 .............. .............. 159,133
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Representative Payee Report of Benefits and Dedicated Account--
20 CFR 416.546, 416.635, 416.640, 416.665--0960-0576. SSA requires
representative payees (RPs) to submit a written report accounting for
the use of money paid to Social Security beneficiaries or SSI
recipients, and to establish and maintain a dedicated account for these
payments. SSA uses Form SSA-6233 to ensure the RPs are use the benefits
for the beneficiary's or recipient's current maintenance and personal
needs, and the expenditures of funds from the dedicated account are in
compliance with the law. Respondents are RPs for SSI recipients and
Social Security beneficiaries.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average burden Estimated total
Modality of completion Number of Frequency of per response annual burden
respondents response (minutes) (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-6233.................................... 30,000 1 20 10,000
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Application for Circuit Court Law--20 CFR 404.985 & 416.1458--
0960-0581. Persons claiming an acquiescence ruling (AR) would change
SSA's prior determination or decision must submit a written
readjudication request with specific information. SSA reviews the
information in the requests to determine if the issues stated in the AR
pertain to the claimant's case, and if the claimant is entitled to
readjudication. If readjudication is appropriate, SSA considers the
issues the AR covers. Any new determination or decision is subject to
administrative or judicial review as specified in the regulations.
Respondents are claimants for Social Security benefits and SSI payments
who request readjudication. This information collection request is for
the information claimants must provide to request readjudication.
Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information
collection.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Average Estimated
Number of Frequency of burden per total annual
Modality of completion respondents response response burden
(minutes) (hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
AR-based Readjudication Requests................ 10,000 1 17 2,833
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 71207]]
Dated: November 26, 2012.
Faye Lipsky,
Reports Clearance Director, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2012-28891 Filed 11-28-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P