[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 207 (Thursday, October 27, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65112-65114]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2022-23444]


=======================================================================
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No: SSA-2022-0052]


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 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-2022-0052].

(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-
2022-0052].
    SSA submitted the information collections below to OMB for 
clearance. Your comments regarding these 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 November 28, 2022. Individuals can obtain copies of 
these OMB clearance packages by writing to 
[email protected].
    1. Waiver of Your Right to Personal Appearance before a Judge--20 
CFR 20 CFR 404.948(b)(1)(i), 404.956, 416.1448(b)(1)(i), and 416.1456--
0960-0284. Applicants for Social Security, Old Age, Survivors, and 
Disability Insurance (OASDI) benefits and Supplemental Security Income 
(SSI) payments have the statutory right to appear in person (or through 
a representative) and present evidence about their claims at a hearing 
before a judge. Per SSA regulations, if a claimant is dissatisfied with 
a determination or decision listed in 20 CFR 404.930 or 416.1430, the 
claimant may request a hearing before a judge, and has a right to 
appear at a hearing before a judge. At a hearing, claimants have the 
right to present evidence; have witnesses testify on their behalf; and 
present their case to the judge. A hearing may provide the judge with 
additional information to make a more informed decision. However, in 
some cases, claimants may choose to waive their right to appear before 
a judge for various reasons, including if they feel the evidence of 
record stands on its own, or if they are unable to attend a hearing due 
to extenuating circumstances. When a claimant chooses to waive the 
right to appear at a hearing and allows the judge to decide the case 
based on the written evidence of record alone, we ask the claimant to 
submit this request to us in writing so we can document it in their 
record. While SSA will accept a written request, we also allow 
claimants to use Form HA-4608 to serve as a written waiver for the 
claimant's right to a personal appearance before a judge. The claimant 
may complete the paper version of the HA-4608 and submit it back to SSA 
using the pre-paid envelope SSA sends with it, or the claimant may 
choose to complete the HA-4608 through the submittable PDF on SSA's 
website. The judge uses the information we collect on Form HA-4608 to 
continue processing the case and makes the completed form a part of the 
documentary evidence of record by placing it in the official record of 
the proceedings as an exhibit. Respondents are applicants or claimants 
for OASDI and SSI, or their representatives, who request to waive their 
right to appear before a judge.
    Type of Request: Revision of an approved-OMB information 
collection.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                            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) *           **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
HA-4608...........................................          12,000                1                5            1,000         $11.70 *       $11,700 **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* 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. Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS)--20 CFR 416.110(e), 
416.1180-416.1182, 416.1225-416.1227--0960-0559. The SSI program 
encourages recipients to return to work. One of the program objectives 
is to provide

[[Page 65113]]

incentives and opportunities that help recipients do so. The Plan to 
Achieve Self-Support (PASS) provision allows individuals to develop a 
plan to enter (or re-enter) the workforce and become self-supporting. 
In turn, SSA does not count the income or resources (such as business 
equipment, education, or specialized training) recipients use to fund a 
PASS when determining an individual's SSI eligibility or payment 
amount. An SSI recipient who wants to take advantage of the PASS 
provision completes Form SSA-545. SSA uses the information from the 
SSA-545 to evaluate the recipient's PASS, and to determine eligibility 
under the provisions of the SSI program. The respondents are SSI 
recipients who want to develop a return-to-work plan.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                           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-545..........................           7,000                1              120           14,000          $11.70*             24**     $196,560 ***
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* We based this figure on the average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2022 data (https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2022factsheet.pdf).
** We based this figure on the average the FY 2022 wait time 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.

    3. Letter to Custodian of Birth Records--20 CFR 404.704, and 
422.103-422.110--0960-0693. When individuals need help in obtaining 
evidence of their age in connection with Social Security number (SSN) 
card applications and claims for benefits, SSA prepares the SSA-L706, 
Letter to Custodian of Birth Records. SSA uses Form SSA-L706 to verify 
the proof of age when an SSN applicant submits a birth record to the 
Social Security Number Application Process (SSNAP) system that SSA 
deems questionable. In most of the cases, we verify birth records 
(i.e., birth certificates) with the custodian of the record or issuing 
entity before processing the SSN card application via an online query 
such as the Electronic Verification of Vital Events (EVVE) or SSA-
approved online access to State vital records. However, when the 
applicant submits alternative evidence to request an original SSN card 
or to correct a date of birth (DOB) that SSA cannot verify via an 
online query (i.e., the custodian/issuing entity of the birth record is 
a hospital or health care provider), we use the SSA-L706 to verify 
proof of age for enumeration purposes. The SSNAP system pre-fills a PDF 
version of the SSA-L706 using information from the SSN application to 
ensure accuracy and save time. SSA uses the letter to verify with the 
custodian or issuing entity, when necessary, the authenticity of the 
record the SSN applicant or claimant submitted. SSA mails the SSA-L706 
to the respondents to complete and mail or fax back the completed form 
back to us. The respondents are SSN applicants who sign the request; 
State and local bureaus or agencies of vital statistics, and religious 
entities who submit the information regarding evidence of age for the 
SSN applicant.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                              Average
                                                                                          Average burden     Estimated      theoretical    Total annual
                 Modality of completion                      Number of     Frequency of    per response    total annual     hourly cost     opportunity
                                                            respondents      response        (minutes)    burden (hours)      amount           cost
                                                                                                                            (dollars) *    (dollars) **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-L706--(SSNAP).......................................             573               1              10              96        * $24.57       ** $2,359
SSA-L706--(Respondents Signature Only)..................             573               1               1              10         * 28.01          ** 280
                                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals..............................................           1,146  ..............  ..............             106  ..............        ** 2,639
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* We based these figures 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), and by averaging both the average U.S. worker's hourly wage with the average Information and Record Clerks hourly wage, as reported by
  Bureau of Labor Statistics data (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes434199.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. Request for Accommodation in Communication Method--0960-0777. 
SSA allows disabled or impaired Social Security applicants, 
beneficiaries, recipients, and representative payees to choose one of 
seven alternative methods of communication they want SSA to use when we 
send them benefit notices and other related communications. The seven 
alternative methods we offer are: (1) standard print notice by first-
class mail; (2) standard print mail with a follow-up telephone call; 
(3) certified mail; (4) Braille; (5) Microsoft Word file on data CD; 
(6) large print (18-point font); or (7) audio CD. Respondents who want 
to receive notices from SSA through a communication method other than 
the seven methods listed above must explain their request to us. Those 
respondents use our iAccomodate Intranet or mySNO internet screens, or 
the paper Form SSA-9000-F6 to: (1) describe the type of accommodation 
they want from SSA; (2) disclose their condition necessitating the need 
for a different type of accommodation; and (3) explain why none of the 
seven methods described above are sufficient for their needs. SSA uses 
our internet and Intranet screens or Form SSA-9000-F6 to determine, 
based on applicable law and regulation, whether to grant the 
respondents' requests for an accommodation based on their impairment or 
disability. SSA collects this information electronically through either 
an in-person telephone interview during which the SSA employee keys in 
the information on our iAccommodate Intranet screens, or through the 
mySNO internet screens which respondents may complete for themselves 
using the application available through their mySSA accounts. The 
respondents are disabled or impaired Social Security or SSI applicants, 
beneficiaries, recipients, and representative payees who ask SSA

[[Page 65114]]

to send notices and other communications in an alternative method 
besides the seven modalities we currently offer.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                              Average         Average
                                                                          Average burden     Estimated      theoretical     teleservice    Total annual
         Modality of completion              Number of     Frequency of    per response    total annual     hourly cost     center wait     opportunity
                                            respondents      response        (minutes)    burden (hours)      amount           time       cost (dollars)
                                                                                                            (dollars)*      (minutes)**         ***
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-9000/iAccommodate...................           5,000               1              20           1,667        * $11.70           ** 19     *** $38,025
mySNO...................................           8,414               1              20           2,805         * 11.70  ..............      *** 32,819
                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals..............................          13,414  ..............  ..............           4,472  ..............  ..............       ***70,844
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* We based this figure on the average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2022 data (https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2022factsheet.pdf).
** 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.


    Dated: October 24, 2022.
Naomi Sipple,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2022-23444 Filed 10-26-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P