[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 121 (Friday, June 24, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37899-37901]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-13489]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No: SSA-2022-0028]


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed 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 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.
Comments: https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Submit your 
comments online referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-2022-0028].
(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-
2022-0028].
    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 
August 23, 2022. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection 
instruments by writing to the above email address.
    1. Supplemental Statement Regarding Farming Activities of Person 
Living Outside the United States--0960-0103. When a beneficiary or 
claimant reports farm work from outside the United States, SSA 
documents this work on Form SSA-7163A-F4. Specifically, SSA uses the 
form to determine if we should apply foreign work deductions to the 
recipient's Title II benefits. We collect the information either 
annually or every other year, depending on the respondent's country of 
residence. Once respondents complete the form, they mail it back to 
SSA. Respondents are Social Security recipients engaged in farming 
activities outside the United States.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                                                            Average
                                                                                      Average  burden  Estimated total    theoretical      Total annual
              Modality of completion                   Number of       Frequency of    per  response    annual burden     hourly cost      opportunity
                                                      respondents        response        (minutes)         (hours)           amount       cost (dollars)
                                                                                                                          (dollars) *           **
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SSA-7163A-F4......................................              19                1               60               19         * $11.70          ** $222
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* We based this figure on the average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2022 data (https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2022factsheet.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.

    2. Information About Joint Checking/Savings Account--20 CFR 
416.1201 and 416.1208--0960-0461. SSA considers a person's resources 
when evaluating eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI). 
Generally, we consider funds in checking and savings accounts as 
resources owned by the individuals whose names appear on the account. 
However, individuals applying for SSI may rebut this assumption of 
ownership in a joint account by submitting certain evidence to 
establish the funds do not belong to them. SSA uses Form SSA-2574 to 
collect information from SSI applicants and recipients who object to 
the assumption that they own all or part of the funds in a joint 
checking or savings account bearing their names. SSA collects 
information about the account from both the SSI applicant or recipient 
and the other account holder(s). After receiving the completed form, 
SSA determines if we should consider the account to be a resource for 
the SSI applicant and recipient. The respondents are applicants and 
recipients of SSI, and individuals who list themselves as joint owners 
of financial accounts with SSI applicants or recipients.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                                                           Average wait
                                                                              Average                         Average      time in field   Total annual
                                             Number of     Frequency of     burden per       Estimated      theoretical    office or for    opportunity
         Modality of completion             respondents      response        response      total annual     hourly cost     teleservice        cost
                                                                             (minutes)    burden (hours)      amount          centers      (dollars) ***
                                                                                                            (dollars) *    (minutes) **
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SSA-2574 (Paper)........................          50,000               1               7           5,833        * $19.86  ..............    *** $115,843
SSA-2574 (SSI Claim System).............         150,000               1               7          17,500         * 19.86           ** 21   *** 1,390,200
                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals..............................         200,000  ..............  ..............          23,333  ..............  ..............  *** $1,506,043
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* We based this figure by averaging both the average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2022 data (https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2022factsheet.pdf), and the average U.S. worker's hourly wages, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm).

[[Page 37900]]

 
** We based this figure by averaging the average FY 2022 wait times for field offices and teleservice centers, based on SSA's current management
  information data.
*** 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.

    3. Real Property Current Market Value Estimate--0960-0471. SSA 
considers an individual's resources when evaluating eligibility for SSI 
payments. The value of an individual's resources, including non-home 
real property, is one of the eligibility requirements for SSI payments. 
SSA obtains current market value estimates of the claimant's real 
property through Form SSA-L2794. We allow respondents to use readily 
available records to complete the form, or we can accept their best 
estimates. We use this form as part of initial applications and in 
post-entitlement situations. The respondents are small business 
operators in real estate; state and local government employees tasked 
with assessing real property values; and other individuals 
knowledgeable about local real estate values.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                                                            Average
                                                                                      Average  burden  Estimated total    theoretical      Total annual
              Modality of completion                   Number of       Frequency of    per  response    annual burden     hourly cost      opportunity
                                                      respondents        response        (minutes)         (hours)           amount      cost  (dollars)
                                                                                                                          (dollars) *           **
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SSA-L2794.........................................             300                1               20              100         * $23.45        ** $2,345
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* We based this figure on the median hourly salary of Real Estate Brokers and Sales Agents, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm).
** 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.

    4. Employer Verification of Earnings After Death--20 CFR 404.821 
and 404.822--0960-0472. When SSA records show a wage earner is 
deceased, and we receive wage reports from an employer for the wage 
earner for a year subsequent to the year of death, SSA mails the 
employer Form SSA-L4112 (Employer Verification of Earnings After 
Death). SSA uses the information Form SSA-L4112 provides to verify wage 
information previously received from the employer is correct for the 
employee and the year in question (the year subsequent to the year of 
death), to ensure we avoid wage fraud on the deceased's account. The 
respondents are employers who report wages for employees who died.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                                                            Average
                                                                                      Average  burden  Estimated total    theoretical      Total annual
              Modality of  completion                  Number of       Frequency of    per  response    annual burden     hourly cost      opportunity
                                                      respondents        response        (minutes)         (hours)           amount      cost  (dollars)
                                                                                                                          (dollars) *           **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-L4112.........................................          13,114                1               10            2,186         * $28.01       ** $61,230
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* We based this figure on the average U.S. worker's hourly wages, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm).
** 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.

    5. Child Care Dropout Questionnaire--20 CFR 404.211(e)(4)--0960-
0474. If individuals applying for Title II disability benefits care for 
their own or their spouse's children under age 3, and have no steady 
earnings during the time they care for those children, they may exclude 
that period of care from the disability computation period. We call 
this the child-care dropout exclusion. SSA uses the information from 
Form SSA-4162 to determine if an individual qualifies for this 
exclusion. Respondents are applicants for Title II disability benefits.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                                           Average
                                                                     Average  burden  Estimated total    theoretical      Average wait     Total annual
      Modality of completion          Number of       Frequency of    per  response    annual burden     hourly cost     time in field     opportunity
                                     respondents        response        (minutes)         (hours)           amount           office      cost  (dollars)
                                                                                                         (dollars) *      (minutes) **         ***
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-4162.........................           1,563                1                5              130         * $28.01            ** 24      *** $21,148
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* We based this figure on the average U.S. worker's hourly wages, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm).
** We based this figure on the average FY 2022 wait times for field offices, based on SSA's current management information data.
*** 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.


[[Page 37901]]

    6. Medical Report on Adult with Allegation of Human 
Immunodeficiency Virus Infection; Medical Report on Child with 
Allegation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection--20 CFR 416.933-
416.934--0960-0500. Section 1631(e)(i) of the Social Security Act (Act) 
authorizes the Commissioner of SSA to gather information to make a 
determination about an applicant's claim for SSI payments. Section 
1631(a)(4) of the Act provides that the Commissioner may pay SSI 
payments to an applicant for a period not exceeding six months prior to 
the determination of the individual's disability, if the individual is 
presumptively disabled and is determined to be otherwise eligible for 
benefits; this procedure is called Presumptive Disability (PD). SSA 
uses Forms SSA-4814 and SSA-4815 to collect information necessary to 
determine if an individual with human immunodeficiency virus infection, 
who is applying for SSI disability benefits, meets the requirements for 
PD. The respondents are the medical sources of the applicants for SSI 
disability payments.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                                           Average       Average  wait
                                                                     Average  burden  Estimated total    theoretical        time for       Total annual
      Modality of completion          Number of       Frequency of    per  response    annual burden     hourly cost      teleservice      opportunity
                                     respondents        response        (minutes)         (hours)           amount          centers      cost  (dollars)
                                                                                                         (dollars) *      (minutes) **         ***
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SSA-4814.........................           1,307                1                8              174         * $16.02            ** 19       *** $9,420
SSA-4815.........................              20                1               10                3          * 16.02            ** 19          *** 144
                                  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals.......................           1,327   ...............  ...............             177   ...............  ...............       *** 9,564
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* We based this figure on the average Healthcare Support Occupations, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes310000.htm).
** We based this figure on the average FY 2022 wait times for teleservice centers, based on SSA's current management information data.
*** 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.

    7. Certificate of Election for Reduced Widow(er)s and Surviving 
Divorced Spouse's Benefits--20 CFR 404.335--0960-0759. Section 202(q) 
of the Act provides SSA the authority to reduce benefits under certain 
conditions when elected by a Title II beneficiary. However, reduced 
benefits are not payable to an already entitled spouse (or divorced 
spouse) who:
     Is at least age 62 and under full retirement age in the 
month of the number holder's death; and
     Is receiving both reduced spouse's (or divorced spouse's) 
benefits and either retirement or disability benefits in the month 
before the month of the number holder's death.
    To elect reduced widow(er) benefits, a recipient completes Form 
SSA-4111, and mails it back to SSA. SSA uses the information collected 
to pay a qualified dually entitled widow(er) (or surviving divorced 
spouse) who elects to receive a reduced widow(er) benefit. The 
respondents are qualified dually entitled widow(er)s (or surviving 
divorced spouse) who elect to receive a reduced widow(er) benefit.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                                                            Average
                                                                                      Average  burden  Estimated total    theoretical      Total annual
              Modality of completion                   Number of       Frequency of    per  response    annual burden     hourly cost      opportunity
                                                      respondents        response        (minutes)         (hours)           amount       cost (dollars)
                                                                                                                          (dollars) *           **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-4111..........................................          30,000                1                2            1,000         * $28.01       ** $28,010
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* We based this figure on the average U.S. worker's hourly wages, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm).
** 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: June 20, 2022.
Naomi Sipple,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2022-13489 Filed 6-23-22; 8:45 am]
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