[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 187 (Wednesday, September 26, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 49244-49246]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-24040]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and 
Comment Request

    The Social Security Administration (SSA) publishes a list of 
information collection packages that will require clearance by the 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with P.L. 104-13 
effective October 1, 1995, The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 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 on ways to minimize burden on 
respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or 
other forms of information technology.
    Written comments and recommendations regarding the information 
collection(s) should be submitted to the OMB Desk Officer and the SSA 
Reports Clearance Officer and at the following addresses:

(OMB), Office of Management and Budget, Attn: Desk Officer for SSA, New 
Executive Office Building, Room 10230, 725 17th St., NW., Washington, 
D.C. 20503.
(SSA), Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Frederick W. 
Brickenkamp, 1-A-21 Operations Bldg., 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, 
MD 21235.

    I. The information collections listed below will be submitted to 
OMB within 60 days from the date of this notice. Therefore, your 
comments should be submitted to SSA within 60 days from the date of 
this publication. You can obtain copies of the collection instruments 
by calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer at 410-965-4145, or

[[Page 49245]]

by writing to him at the address listed above.
    1. Modified Benefits Formula Questionnaire, Employer--0960-0477. 
Form SSA-58 is used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to 
verify or disprove a claimant's allegation regarding a pension based on 
non-covered employment after 1956. It also shows whether that claimant 
was eligible for the pension before 1986. The respondents are persons 
who are eligible (after 1985) for both Social Security benefits and a 
pension from their employer, based on work not covered by SSA.
    Number of Respondents: 30,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 20 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 10,000 hours.

    2. Application for Survivors Benefits--0960-0062. The information 
collected on Form SSA-24 is needed to satisfy the ``Jointly Prescribed 
Application'' of title 38 USC 5105. The provision requires that 
survivors who file with SSA or the VA shall be deemed to have filed 
with both agencies, and that each agency's forms must request 
information to constitute an application for both SSA and VA benefits. 
The respondents are survivors of military service veterans filing for 
Social Security benefits
    Number of Respondents: 3,200.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 800 hours.

    3. Medical Report (Individual With Childhood Impairment)--0960-
0102. The information on Form SSA-3827-BK is needed to determine the 
claimant's physical and mental status prior to making a childhood 
disability determination. The respondents are medical sources.
    Number of Respondents: 12,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 6,000 hours.
    4. Work Activity Report (Self-Employed)--0960-0598. Form SSA-820-F4 
is used to determine whether work an individual performs in self-
employment is at the substantial gainful activity (SGA) level. An 
individual's entitlement to benefits ends if he/she demonstrates an 
ability to perform SGA. The respondents are social security disability 
beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income recipients.
    Number of Respondents: 100,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 50,000 hours.

    5. Agreement to Sell Property--0960-0127. Form SSA-8060-U3 is used 
by SSA to document and ensure that individuals or couples who are 
otherwise eligible for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, but 
who own in excess of the statutory limit, may receive conditional 
benefit payments if they agree to dispose of the excess resources and 
repay any overpayments with the proceeds of the disposition. The form 
is also used to ensure that the individuals understand their 
obligations under the agreement. The respondents are individuals (or 
couples) who are receiving (or will receive) conditional SSI payments.
    Number of Respondents: 20,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 3,333 hours.

    6. Reconsideration Disability Report-0960-0144. SSA uses the 
information collected on Form SSA-3441 to determine if the claimant's 
medical or vocational situation changed after the initial disability 
determination, when the claimant requests a reconsideration of a denied 
disability claim. The form also elicits additional sources of medical 
and vocational evidence that were not considered in the initial 
determination. The respondents are disability beneficiaries who request 
a reconsideration of their claim.
    Number of Respondents: 400,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Average Burden: 200,000 hours.

    7. Electronic Benefit Verification Information--0960-0595. SSA 
provides verification of benefits, when requested, to individuals 
receiving title II and/or title XVI benefits. In order to provide to 
the public an easy and convenient means of requesting benefit 
information, SSA has developed an electronic request form that will 
allow persons to request the information through the Internet. The 
information collected on the electronic screens will be used by SSA to 
process the request for a benefit verification statement. To ensure 
appropriate confidentiality, the statement will be mailed to the 
recipient/beneficiary address shown in SSA's records. The respondents 
are title II and XVI recipients/beneficiaries who request benefit 
verification information using the Internet.
    Number of Respondents: 133,920.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: \1/2\ minute.
    Estimated Average Burden: 1,116 hours.

    8. Statement by School Official About Student's Attendance; 
Statement to U.S. Social Security Administration By School Outside the 
United States About Student's Attendance--0960-0090. The information 
collected on Forms SSA-1371 and SSA-1371-FC is used by SSA to verify a 
student's alleged full-time attendance at an educational institution, 
in order to determine the student's eligibility for Social Security 
student benefits. The respondents are school officials who provide the 
information on these forms.
    Number of Respondents: 5,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
    Estimated Average Burden: 833 hours.
    9. Report of Continuing Disability Interview--0960-0072. SSA 
periodically reviews the cases of individuals who receive Social 
Security benefits and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) to determine 
if disability continues. During a review, SSA uses Form SSA-454-BK to 
collect information on disability. The information on the form is used 
to update the record of the disabled individual on recent medical 
treatment, vocational and educational experiences, work activity, and 
evaluations of potential for return to work. Based on this information 
and other evidence, SSA makes a determination on whether disability 
continues or has ended, and if so, when disability ended. The 
respondents are individuals who receive Social Security or SSI 
disability benefits, or their representatives.
    Number of Respondents: 852,000.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 30 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 426,000 hours.
    II. The information collections listed below have been submitted to 
OMB for clearance. Your comments on the information collections would 
be most useful if received by OMB and SSA within 30 days from the date 
of this publication. You can obtain a copy of the OMB clearance package 
by calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer on (410) 965-4145, or by 
writing to him at the address listed above.
    1. Request for Social Security Earnings Information--0960-0525. The 
Social Security Act provides that a wage earner, or someone authorized 
by a

[[Page 49246]]

wage earner, may request Social Security earnings information from the 
Social Security Administration, using form SSA-7050. SSA uses the 
information collected on the form to verify that the requestor is 
authorized to access the earnings record and to produce the earnings 
statement. The respondents are wage earners and organizations and legal 
representatives authorized by the wage earner.
    Number of Respondents: 61,494.
    Frequency of Response: 1.
    Average Burden Per Response: 11 minutes.
    Estimated Annual Burden: 11,274 hours.
    2. Survey of Adults to Determine Public Understanding of Social 
Security Programs--0960-0612. As a result of the Government Performance 
and Results Act (GPRA), SSA must measure its progress in achieving 
Agency-level goals. One of SSA's strategic goals is to ``Strengthen 
public understanding of Social Security programs.'' In order to measure 
its performance in meeting this strategic objective, SSA established 
the Public Understanding Measurement System (PUMS) which involves 
surveying the public about their knowledge of Social Security programs. 
The Gallup Organization has been conducting PUMS surveys, on behalf of 
SSA, since fiscal year 1999.
    For the next series of surveys, SSA has made some modifications to 
the PUMS survey process to bring it into compliance with its most 
recent Agency Strategic Plan, Mastering the Challenge, and plans to 
conduct 22,000 surveys beginning this fall as shown below:
     1,000 national surveys will be used to determine the FY 
2001 performance level; e.g., the percent of Americans knowledgeable 
about Social Security programs.
     1,050 national surveys will be used to ensure that SSA has 
equal data for specific demographic groups (African Americans, Hispanic 
Americans, and Asian Americans) that have been underrepresented in 
previous national surveys. This data will be used to improve SSA's 
public education programs directed to these populations.
     19,950 ``area'' surveys will provide area managers with 
statistically valid local GPRA performance data. This data will be used 
to measure local progress and to improve SSA public education programs 
in those areas. This will ensure that SSA's resources are used 
effectively and that it continues to make progress in meeting its 
strategic objective.
    The respondents will be randomly selected adults residing in the 
United States.

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                                   National surveys      Area surveys
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Number of respondents...........  2,050.............  19,950.
Frequency of response...........  1.................  1.
Average burden per response.....  10.5 minutes......  10.5 minutes.
Estimated annual burden.........  359 hours.........  3,491 hours.
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    Dated: September 20, 2001.
Frederick W. Brickenkamp,
Reports Clearance Officer.
[FR Doc. 01-24040 Filed 9-25-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-U