[Federal Register Volume 86, Number 152 (Wednesday, August 11, 2021)]
[Notices]
[Pages 44123-44125]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2021-17067]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No: SSA-2021-0023]


Agency Information Collection Activities: 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 one revision of an OMB-approved information collection.
    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

    Comments: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Submit your 
comments online referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-2021-0021].

(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].

    Or you may submit your comments online through https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-
2021-0023].
    SSA submitted the information collection below to OMB for 
clearance. Your comments regarding this 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 September 10, 2021. Individuals can obtain copies of this 
OMB clearance package by writing to [email protected].

1. Work-Disability Functional Assessment Battery (WD-FAB)--0960-NEW

Background

    SSA uses continuing disability reviews (CDR) to determine continued 
eligibility of program benefits for Social Security disability 
insurance (SSDI), and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients. 
SSA is requesting clearance to administer the Work-Disability 
Functional Assessment Battery (WD-FAB) assessment to a sample of 
working-age SSDI and SSI program recipients who are due for their CDR. 
The WD-FAB is a self-reported assessment measuring whole person-
functioning at the activity level for eight work-related functional 
domains: (1) Basic Mobility; (2) Upper Body Function; (3) Fine Motor 
Function; (4) Community Mobility; (5) Communication and Cognition; (6) 
Resilience and Sociability; (7) Self- Regulation; and (8) Mood and 
Emotion. SSA will use the data the WD-FAB collects to assess the 
feasibility and value of incorporating the WD-FAB into SSA's CDR 
process with the intent of improving the CDR process. Section 1110(a) 
of the Social Security Act (Act) gives the Commissioner of Social 
Security the authority to help fund research or demonstration projects 
relating to the prevention and reduction of dependency. SSA contracted 
with Westat to conduct the WD-FAB data collection.

WD-FAB Project Description

    To assess the feasibility of incorporating the WD-FAB into the CDR 
process, this study will conduct two assessments. The first assessment 
is a baseline assessment of the WD-FAB and the second assessment, which 
we will conduct with the same individuals six months later, will detect 
any changes. Each survey will include three main components: 
Classification questions, WD-FAB questions, and follow-up questions. 
The classification questions and WD-FAB questions will be identical in 
each survey.
    Survey 1 will cover questions in the following domains:
     Classification questions:
    [cir] Demographic questions (age, gender, race, ethnicity, marital 
status, highest level of education completed);
    [cir] Questions on general health, mental health status, and work-
limiting conditions;
    [cir] 4-item set of Healthy Days core questions included in the 
state-based Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System;
    [cir] Questions from Form SSA-455, Disability Update Report
     Veterans Item Health Survey;
     Items from WD-FAB; and
     3-5 follow-up questions to solicit feedback on the WD-FAB 
about ease of use, clarity of instructions, and perceived burden.
    Survey 2 will include the same classification questions included in 
Survey 1, and we will record responses using the WD-FAB Computer 
Assisted Telephone (CAT) system. CAT interviewers and respondents who 
complete the surveys via the web will access the same web version of 
the survey instruments ensuring data consistency between these two 
modes of data collection. The CAT methodology uses a computer interface 
that rapidly tailors questions to the unique ability level of each 
claimant, allowing for fewer items to be administered, while providing 
an assessment that is proven to be accurate, precise, comprehensive,

[[Page 44124]]

and efficient. Follow-up questions for Survey 2 will include 52 effort 
and symptom validity questions to examine certain symptoms related to 
function.
    Data collection for Survey 1 will begin in November 2021 and extend 
for 12 weeks through January 2022. The target goal for Survey 1 is to 
obtain 2,400 completed surveys from a participant pool of at least 
4,000 beneficiaries.
    Data collection for Survey 2 will begin in April 2022, 
approximately 6 months after Survey 1, and continue for 3 months 
through June 2022. For Survey 2, we will initiate contact with the 
2,400 beneficiaries who complete Survey 1. The target goal for Survey 2 
is to obtain 1,600 completed surveys.

Recruitment

    Participant recruitment will include multiple modes of contact. We 
will initiate contact by mailing a study invitation package. The study 
invitation package will include the following items:
    1. An invitation letter explaining the study and notifying selected 
recipients that we will call them soon;
    2. A study consent form explaining the background of the study, 
what will happen during the study, the risks and benefits associated 
with participating, and their rights as a study participant; and
    3. Instructions to download the study smartphone app to facilitate 
study participation.
    Following the mailing of the study invitation package, we will call 
recipients to conduct a short screener to ensure we are speaking to the 
sampled recipient and confirm that the recipient is eligible for the 
study. Eligibility criteria include aged 18 or over, ability to 
understand English, and ability to provide informed consent.
    To assess ability to provide informed consent, interviewers will 
read aloud a brief description of the study and then ask participants 
to name one thing participation involves. This vetted question will be 
a check for cognitive ability to provide consent. Failure to name one 
thing will deem the recipient ineligible for the study due to inability 
to provide informed consent.
    If the recipient is able to provide informed consent, the 
interviewer will review the main points on the consent form over the 
phone with the beneficiary. This will include:
     The voluntary nature of the study;
     That the study will not directly benefit them;
     Their rights as study participants;
     That they can withdraw at any time;
     Information on who to call if they have questions about 
their rights as research participants.
    The interviewer will then ask the recipient if they want to 
participate in the study and collect verbal informed consent. After 
collecting consent, interviewers will collect contact information from 
the recipient including home address, preferred telephone numbers, and 
email addresses. Interviewers will obtain permission to send reminders 
via text message for respondents with cell phones. We will send 
electronic reminders to participants about survey completion and to 
keep in touch with respondents between each wave of data collection. We 
will confirm the recipient's address to mail incentives after survey 
completion.
    At the close of the screener, recipients will have the option of 
completing the survey online themselves or over the telephone with an 
interviewer. Recipients who opt to do the survey with an interviewer on 
the phone will be given the opportunity to do the survey immediately 
following the screener, or at a later date and time that is convenient 
for the recipient. The interviewer will schedule an appointment to call 
the recipient at their preferred date and time. We will ask recipients 
who opt to complete the survey on the web to provide a valid email 
address where they can receive information about how to access the web 
survey. The recipient will receive an email with the survey URL and 
instructions for logging on. Recipients who elect to complete Survey 1 
or Survey 2 on their own via the web will also receive email reminders 
if they have not started the web survey within four days and another 
emailed reminder on day 5. We will administer the eligibility screener 
via telephone and obtain consent prior to each survey. Survey 
participants will receive a gift card in the amount of $50 and $75 as a 
reimbursement for completing Survey 1 and Survey 2, respectively. The 
respondents are Study participants who are receiving SSA disability 
payments.
    Type of Request: Request for a new information collection.

                                                                     WD-FAB Survey 1
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                                                                                                                              Average
                                                                                              Average        Estimated      theoretical    Total annual
                 Modality of completion                      Number of     Frequency of     burden per     total annual     hourly cost     opportunity
                                                            respondents      response        response         burden          amount           cost
                                                                                             (minutes)        (hours)       (dollars) *    (dollars) **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Survey 1 competency screening and informed consent......           4,500               1               5             375        * $10.95       ** $4,106
Survey 1 (respondents)..................................           5,600               1              50           4,667         * 10.95       ** 51,104
                                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total...............................................          10,100  ..............  ..............           5,042  ..............          55,210
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                                                                     WD-FAB Survey 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                              Average
                                                                                              Average        Estimated      theoretical    Total annual
                 Modality of Completion                      Number of     Frequency of     burden per     total annual     hourly cost     opportunity
                                                           resplondents      response        response         burden          amount           cost
                                                                                             (minutes)        (hours)       (dollars) *    (dollars) **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Survey 2 competency screener............................           2,400               1               5             200        * $10.95       ** $2,190
Survey 2 (respondents)..................................           3,200               1              75           4,000         * 10.95       ** 43,800
                                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total...............................................           5,600  ..............  ..............           4,200  ..............          45,990
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[[Page 44125]]


                                                            WD-FAB Grand Total Burden Figures
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                                                                                                                              Average
                                                                                              Average        Estimated      theoretical    Total annual
                 Modality of Completion                      Number of     Frequency of     burden per     total annual     hourly cost     opportunity
                                                           resplondents      response        response         burden          amount           cost
                                                                                             (minutes)        (hours)       (dollars) *    (dollars) **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Totals..................................................          15,700  ..............  ..............           9,242  ..............        $101,200
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* We based this figure on the average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2021 data (https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2021FactSheet.pdf).
** This figure does not represent actual costs that SSA is imposing on recipients of Social Security payments to complete this application; rather,
  these are theoretical opportunity costs for the additional time respondents will spend to complete the application. There is no actual charge to
  respondents to complete the application.


    Dated: August 5, 2021.
Naomi Sipple,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2021-17067 Filed 8-10-21; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P