[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]]

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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 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
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[[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
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    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.

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                                                                                      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]]



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                                                                                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.

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                                                                                      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.

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                                                                                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
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[[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