[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 4 (Tuesday, January 7, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 889-892]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-00001]
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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 and an extension 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, OLCA, Attn: Reports
Clearance Director, 3100 West High Rise, 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
March 10, 2014. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection
instruments by writing to the above email address.
1. Government Pension Questionnaire--20 CFR 404.408a--0960-0160.
The basic Social Security benefits application (OMB No. 0960-0618)
contains a lead question asking if the applicants are qualified (or
will qualify) to receive a government pension. If the applicants answer
``yes,'' they complete Form SSA-3885, either on paper or with an SSA
claims representative during a personal interview. If the applicants
are not entitled to receive a government pension at the time they apply
for Social Security benefits, SSA requires them to provide the
government pension information as beneficiaries when they become
eligible to receive their pensions. Regardless of the timing, at some
point the applicants or
[[Page 890]]
beneficiaries must complete and sign Form SSA-3885 to report
information about their government pensions before the pensions begin.
SSA uses the information to: (1) determine whether the Government
Pension Offset provision applies; (2) identify exceptions as stated in
20 CFR 404.408a; and (3) determine the benefit reduction amount and
effective date. If the applicants and beneficiaries do not respond
using this questionnaire, SSA offsets their entire benefit amount. The
respondents are applicants or recipients of spousal benefits who are
eligible for or already receiving a Government pension.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB- approved information
collection.
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Estimated
Number of Frequency of Average burden total annual
Modality of completion respondents response per response burden
(minutes) (hours)
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SSA-3885........................................ 76,000 1 13 16,467
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2. RS/DI Quality Review Case Analysis: Sampled Number Holder,
Auxiliaries/Survivors, Parents, and Stewardship Annual Earnings Test
Workbook--0960-0189. Section 205(a) of the Social Security Act (Act)
authorizes the Commissioner of SSA to conduct the quality review
process, which entails collecting information related to the accuracy
of payments made under the Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance
Program (OASDI). Sections 228(a)(3), 1614(a)(1)(B), and 1836(2) of the
Act require a determination of the citizenship or alien status of the
beneficiary; this is only one item that we might question as part of
the Annual Quality review. SSA uses Forms SSA-2930, SSA-2931, and SSA-
2932 to establish a national payment accuracy rate for all cases in
payment status, and to serve as a source of information regarding
problem areas in the Retirement Survivors Insurance (RSI) and
Disability Insurance (DI) programs. We also use the information to
measure the accuracy rate for newly adjudicated RSI or DI cases.
SSA uses Form SSA-4659 to evaluate the effectiveness of the annual
earnings testand to implement ongoing improvements in the process.
About twenty-five percent of respondents will have in-person reviews
and receive one of the following appointment letters: (1) SSA-L8550-U3
(Appointment Letter--Sample Individual); (2) SSA-L8551-U3 (Appointment
Letter--Sample Family); or (3) the SSA-L8552-U3 (Appointment Letter--
Rep Payee). Seventy-five percent of respondents will receive a notice
for a telephone review using the SSA-L8553-U3 (Beneficiary Telephone
Contact) or the SSA-L8554-U3 (Rep Payee Telephone Contact).
To help the beneficiary prepare for the interview, we include three
forms with each notice: (1) SSA-85 (Information Needed to Review Your
Social Security Claim) lists the information the beneficiary will need
to gather for the interview; (2) SSA-2935 (Authorization to the Social
Security Administration to Obtain Personal Information) verifies the
beneficiary's correct payment amount, if necessary; and (3) SSA-8552
(Interview Confirmation) confirms or reschedules the interview if
necessary. The respondents are a statistically valid sample of all
OASDI beneficiaries in current pay status or their representative
payees.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
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Estimated
Number of Frequency of Average burden total annual
Modality of completion responses response per response burden
(minutes) (hours)
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SSA-2930........................................ 1,500 1 30 750
SSA-2931........................................ 850 1 30 425
SSA-4659........................................ 325 1 10 54
SSA-L8550-U3.................................... 385 1 5 32
SSA-L8551-U3.................................... 95 1 5 8
SSA-L8552-U3.................................... 35 1 5 3
SSA-L8553-U3.................................... 4490 1 5 374
SSA-L8554-U3.................................... 670 1 5 56
SSA-8552........................................ 2350 1 5 196
SSA-85.......................................... 3850 1 5 321
SSA-2935........................................ 2350 1 5 196
SSA-820/821 (also saved under OMB: 0960-0598 and 400 1 15 100
0960-0059).....................................
SSA-8510 (also saved under OMB No. 0960-0707)... 800 1 5 67
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Totals...................................... 18,100 .............. .............. 2,582
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3. Appeal of Determination for Help with Medicare Prescription Drug
Plan Costs--0960-0695. Public Law 108-173, the Medicare Prescription
Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 (MMA), established the
Medicare Part D program for voluntary prescription drug coverage for
certain low-income individuals. The MMA stipulates the provision of
subsidies for individuals who are eligible for the program and who meet
eligibility criteria for help with premium, deductible, or co-payment
costs. SSA uses Form SSA-1021, Appeal of Determination for Help with
Medicare Prescription Drug Plan Costs, to obtain information from
individuals who appeal SSA's decisions regarding eligibility or
continuing eligibility for a Medicare Part D subsidy. The respondents
are applicants who are appealing SSA's eligibility or continuing
eligibility decisions.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
[[Page 891]]
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Average burden Estimated
Modality of completion Number of Frequency of per response total annual
respondents response (minutes) burden (hours)
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SSA-1021 (Paper form)........................... 2,330 1 10 388
SSA-1021 (Internet-Medicare Application 14,008 1 10 2,335
Processing System).............................
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Totals...................................... 16,338 .............. .............. 2,723
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4. Sheltered Workshop Wage Reporting--0960-0771. Sheltered
workshops are non-profit organizations or institutions that implement a
recognized program of rehabilitation for handicapped workers, or
provide such workers with remunerative employment or other occupational
rehabilitative activity of an educational or therapeutic nature.
Sheltered workshops perform a service for their clients by reporting
monthly wages directly to SSA. SSA uses the information these workshops
provide to verify and post monthly wages to the Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) recipient's record. Most workshops report monthly wage
totals to their local SSA office so we can adjust the client's SSI
payment amount in a timely manner and prevent overpayments. Sheltered
workshops are motivated to report wages voluntarily as a service to
their clients. Respondents are sheltered workshops that report monthly
wages for services performed in the workshop.
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)
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Sheltered Workshop Wage Reporting........... 800 12 15 2,400
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II. SSA submitted the information collection below to OMB for
clearance. Your comments regarding the information collection 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 February 6, 2014. Individuals can obtain copies of the
OMB clearance packages by writing to [email protected].
Methods for Conducting Personal Conferences When Waiver of Recovery
of a Title II or Title XVI Overpayment Cannot Be Approved--20 CFR
404.506(e)(3), 404.506(f)(8), 416.557(c)(3), and 416.557(d)(8)--0960-
0769. SSA conducts personal conferences when we cannot approve a waiver
of recovery of a Title II or Title XVI overpayment. We are required to
give overpaid Social Security beneficiaries and SSI recipients the
right to request a waiver of recovery and automatically schedule a
personal conference if we cannot approve their request for waiver of
overpayment. We conduct these conferences face-to-face, by telephone,
or by video teleconference. Social Security beneficiaries and SSI
recipients or their representatives may provide documents to
demonstrate they are without fault in causing the overpayment and do
not have the ability to repay the debt. They may submit these documents
by completing Form SSA-632 (OMB No. 0960-0037); Request for Waive of
Overpayment Recovery; SSA-795 (OMB No. 0960-0045), Statement of
Claimant or Other Person; or personal statement submitted by mail,
telephone, personal contact, or other suitable method, such as fax or
email. This information collection satisfies the requirements for
request for waiver of recovery of an overpayment and allows individuals
to pursue further levels of administrative appeal via personal
conference. Respondents are Social Security beneficiaries and SSI
recipients or their representatives seeking reconsideration of an SSA
waiver decision.
Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information
collection.
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Estimated
Number of Frequency of Average burden total annual
Title/section & collection description respondents response per response burden
(minutes) (hours)
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Personal Conference 404.506(e)(3) and 404- 40,000 1 30 20,000
506(f)(8) submittal of documents, additional
mitigating financial information, and
verifications for consideration at personal
conferences....................................
Personal Conference 416.557(c)(3) and 416- 63,801 1 30 31,901
557(d)(8) submittal of documents, additional
mitigating financial information, and
verifications at personal conferences..........
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Totals...................................... 103,801 .............. .............. 51,901
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[[Page 892]]
Date: January 1, 2014.
Faye Lipsky,
Reports Clearance Director, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2014-00001 Filed 1-6-14; 8:45 am]
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