[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 152 (Wednesday, August 9, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53945-53948]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-16994]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No: SSA-2023-0030]


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 one new information collection for public comment and 
ultimately OMB approval. 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]. Submit 
your comments online referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-2023-0030].
    (SSA) Social Security Administration, OLCA, Attn: Reports Clearance 
Director, Mail Stop 3253 Altmeyer, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 
21235, Fax: 833-410-1631, Email address: [email protected].
    Or you may submit your comments online through https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain, referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-
2023-0030].
    The information collection below is pending at SSA. SSA will submit 
it 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 October 10, 
2023. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection instruments by 
writing to the above email address.
    1. 0960-NEW. Social Security Income Simplification Process Phase I 
(iSSI).
    Overview.
    SSA is embarking on a multi-year effort to simplify the 
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) application process. This presents a 
formidable challenge, based on the inherent complexity of the program.
    The SSI program legally requires SSA to request extensive amounts 
of information from SSI applicants to make accurate eligibility and 
payment determinations. This is because the SSI program is, by statute, 
intended to provide assistance based on the current needs of a specific 
individual, with eligibility and payment amounts frequently 
fluctuating. Accordingly, it takes a significant number of questions to 
accurately identify an applicant's situation and needs. The framework 
of the SSI program will not change regardless of the type of 
application claimants must complete. However, we recognize that the 
current process is burdensome and challenging for the public, and we 
are doing what we can to reduce this burden and improve access to SSI.
    As part of this effort, our goal is to develop a fully online, 
simplified SSI application process. As an important step toward that 
goal, we are currently planning to implement in late 2023 the SSI 
Simplification Phase I initiative, or iSSI. iSSI will be a pathway in 
the existing Social Security internet Claim (iClaim) System that will 
streamline and shorten the SSI application for Title XVI \1\ disability 
applicants. iClaim is an online portal the public can use to apply for 
multiple types of Social Security benefits. Currently, this includes 
Retirement, Spouse's, and Disability Insurance benefits (DIB) (Title II 
SSDI). Although SSI Simplification Phase I/iSSI will be part of iClaim, 
the initiative relates to three existing OMB-approved SSA Information 
Collection Requests (ICRs) in total. Further details about iSSI and 
these three related ICRs follow.
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    \1\ Title XVI disability payments, or SSI, are needs-based and 
are reserved for low-income individuals with limited assets. This is 
in contrast to Title II disability benefits, or Social Security 
Disability Insurance (SSDI), which are not needs-based, are reserved 
for those who have worked/paid corresponding taxes for the 
appropriate work quarters, and do not have any associated income or 
asset limitations. There is already an online Title II application 
included as a pathway in the overall iClaim application.
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How Will iSSI Work?

    iSSI will work as follows:
     Title XVI applicants who want to use the internet to apply 
for SSI will use the iClaim system to initiate the application process 
and establish the protective filing date of the application. Applicants 
filing for themselves can authenticate online using one of our existing 
authentication methods, while applicants assisting others can use 
iClaim without authenticating. Although SSA encourages respondents to 
authenticate in iClaim, they can continue to use the system without 
authentication.
     When applicants who use iClaim authenticate themselves, 
the iClaim system can use some information already within SSA records. 
For all applicants, the iClaim system will prompt the Social Security 
Disability (Disability Insurance Benefit (DIB)) questions and pre-
populate the applicant's answers within the iSSI portion of the iClaim 
pages. The applicants would then only need to answer simplified 
eligibility related questions, excerpted from the deferred SSI 
application, that will form the core of iSSI. These are what SSA refers 
to as ``basic eligibility questions.''
     After answering the DIB and SSI basic eligibility 
questions, applicants will be automatically transferred to other 
existing steps within the SSI Application iClaim path, such as 
providing medical information (using the i3368, OMB No. 0960-0579) and 
signing a medical release using the i827 (OMB No. 0960-0623). This 
process will be seamless to the applicant, as the iClaim system will 
take them from page to page without interruption.
     Once the applicant submits the information online, SSA 
technicians will review it for completeness and send it to the 
Disability Determination Services (DDS) to make a disability 
determination. The DDS can make a decision based on the application 
materials and evidence the respondent provides; by obtaining medical 
evidence and/or work history from the applicant; or by scheduling a 
consultative examination (if needed).
     We will allow applicants filing for themselves and third-
party assistors (i.e., respondents acting on behalf of claimants) to 
use the new iSSI process. (Note: Although iClaim does not allow a third 
party to electronically sign on behalf of the applicant, the new 
process will not require the applicant to visit a field office. Rather, 
SSA will mail a copy of the third party's responses to the DIB and SSI 
application questions to the applicant, and the applicant may either 
sign the application and return it via mail, or wait for an SSA 
employee to call them to give verbal attestation in lieu of a wet 
signature.)

[[Page 53946]]

To Which Existing SSA ICRs Does iSSI Relate, and How Will It Interact 
With Them?

    iSSI relates to three existing OMB-approved ICRs: 0960-0618, 
Application for Social Security Benefits (Specifically the Social 
Insurance Disability (DIB) SSA-16); 0960-0229 (SSA-8000, Application 
for Supplemental Security Income); and 0960-0444 (SSA-8001, Application 
for Supplemental Security Income (Deferred or Abbreviated). The SSA-16 
is fully electronic through the iClaim system, and forms SSA-8000 and 
SSA-8001 are available as either paper forms or Intranet screens that 
SSA employees can complete while interviewing applicants. Recent 
discussions with third-party helpers and advocates indicate that they 
regularly complete and mail the paper SSA-8000 on behalf of applicants. 
However, that adds an unnecessary burden to responders, as the 
information is only needed after the medical approval. SSA data shows 
that approximately 52% of the SSI applications SSA processed were SSA-
8000 applications, while the remaining 48% use the SSA-8001. The new 
online iSSI streamlined application will make it easier for applicants 
to use the SSA-8001 by allowing more responders to file online, and by 
paving the way for the future implementation of the new streamlined SSI 
questions on the other service channels (i.e., in person or phone 
interviews).
    (1) 0960-0618/Social Security Benefits Applications.
    The Social Security Benefit Applications can be submitted through 
the online iClaim system. iClaim offers a timesaving and streamlined 
process by importing some existing information already in SSA's 
records, and prepopulating answers when applicable as the applicant 
moves seamlessly from one form to another. As well, iClaim uses dynamic 
pathing, which ensures claimants are only asked to complete the 
questions that are relevant to them.
    iClaim currently offers a limited Title XVI application to apply 
for SSI payments. Applicants navigate the SSA website to learn about 
benefits for which they can apply online. SSA directs them to iClaim to 
use the current limited SSI application if they meet the requirements 
listed below:
     Indicate intent to file,
     Allege disability and are under the age of 64 and 10 
months,
     Are U.S. citizens,
     Have never been married; and
     Have never filed for SSI or named as a parent on a child's 
SSI record
    However, the new SSI Simplification Phase 1 pathway, as described 
above, will expand to US residents and add the new streamlined SSI 
questions to avoid collecting unnecessary information or contacting 
responders for additional information. The updated iClaim burden 
figures provided below reflect the inclusion of new SSI claimants who 
will now be using iSSI to apply:

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                                                                          SSA-1
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                                                                                                                        Average wait
                                                                                                           Average      time in field
                                          Number of     Frequency of   Average burden     Estimated      theoretical    office or for     Total annual
        Modality of completion           respondents      response      per response    annual burden    cost amount     teleservice    opportunity cost
                                                                          (minutes)        (hours)       (dollars) *       centers       (dollars) ***
                                                                                                                        (minutes) **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paper version (SSA-1)................          17,604               1              11           3,227        $29.76 *  ..............        $96,036 ***
Interview/Phone MCS..................       1,679,321               1              10         279,887         29.76 *           19 **     24,155,359 ***
Interview/Office MCS.................          51,648               1              10           8,608         29.76 *           24 **        870,986 ***
Internet First Party.................       1,835,958               1              15         458,990         29.76 *  ..............     13,659,542 ***
Third party initiated (complete and            81,810               1              15          20,453         29.76 *  ..............        608,681 ***
 submit).............................
                                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals...........................       3,666,341  ..............  ..............         771,165  ..............  ..............     39,390,604 ***
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                                                                          SSA-2
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Paper version (SSA-2)................           6,723               1              15           1,681         29.76 *  ..............         50,027 ***
Interview/Phone MCS..................         358,225               1              14          83,586         29.76 *           19 **      5,863,434 ***
Interview/Office MCS.................           8,227               1              14           1,920         29.76 *           24 **        155,079 ***
Internet First Party.................         119,129               1              15          29,782         29.76 *  ..............        886,312 ***
                                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals...........................         492,304  ..............  ..............         116,969  ..............  ..............      6,954,852 ***
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                                                                         SSA-16
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Paper version (SSA-16)...............          46,032               1              20          15,344         29.76 *  ..............        456,637 ***
Interview/Phone MCS..................         723,281               1              19         229,039         29.76 *           19 **     13,632,401 ***
Interview/Office MCS.................          10,843               1              19           3,434         29.76 *           24 **        231,265 ***
Internet First Party.................         667,806               1              15         166,952         29.76 *  ..............      4,968,492 ***
Internet Third party.................         561,014               1              15         140,254         29.76 *  ..............      4,173,959 ***
                                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals...........................       2,008,976  ..............  ..............         555,023  ..............  ..............     23,462,754 ***
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                                                                       Grand Total
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    Totals...........................       6,167,621  ..............  ..............       1,443,157  ..............  ..............     69,808,210 ***
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* We based this figure on the average hourly wage for all occupations as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm).
** We based this figure on the average FY 2023 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.

    (2) 0960-0229/SSA-8000, Application for Supplemental Security 
Income (SSI).
    Form SSA-8000 is the full SSI application. SSA instructs 
technicians to use the SSA-8000 for initial claim interviews when 
respondents:
     Have a condition that would likely meet a medical 
allowance (e.g., terminal illness, presumptive blindness, compassionate 
allowance (CAL)

[[Page 53947]]

conditions such leukemia, Lymphoma, etc.,) which allows technicians to 
simultaneously submit the application for medical evaluation and 
continue the income and resources development. This process ensures 
that the medical evaluation is not delayed due to any pending non-
medical development;
     File for aged benefits;
     File together with a spouse (i.e., couple cases); or
     Meet the Expeditious Handling criteria (e.g., homeless, 
pre-release from public instructions, etc.).
    It is possible that someone who otherwise would have gone to a 
field office or called SSA to complete a full SSA-8000 might now 
complete the new iSSI at the beginning of the process, and would then 
be called by SSA at a later point to provide the additional required 
information. iClaim asks these applicants to provide us with their 
intent to file for SSI (when filing for DIB using iClaim) or contact us 
to set up an appointment and file with the assistance of a technician. 
These applicants will also have the option to complete the iSSI pathing 
in iClaim. This process will continue with the implementation of Phase 
1. For individuals who are aged (i.e., age of 64 and 10 months) or 
married filing for SSI, iClaim will not display the iSSI pathing; 
rather, the system will indicate that SSA will contact the applicants 
later to complete their SSI application.
    For the individuals who now start off with the iSSI and have a 
condition that would likely meet a medical allowance, the filed 
application is flagged as a priority case to expedite the process. SSA 
technicians will quickly review the application, refer it to the DDS 
for medical evaluation, and simultaneously develop and secure 
additional information as needed. However, with the new iSSI, the 
universe of respondents will expand, and the amount of time needed to 
complete file their applications will decrease. Projected updated 
burden figures are reflected below:

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                                                                                                                        Average wait
                                                                                                           Average      time in field
                                          Number of     Frequency of   Average burden     Estimated      theoretical    office or for     Total annual
        Modality of completion           respondents      response      per response    total annual     cost amount     teleservice    opportunity cost
                                                                          (minutes)    burden (hours)    (dollars) *       centers       (dollars) ***
                                                                                                                        (minutes) **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intranet CCE or SSI Claims System....         674,154               1              35         393,257        $21.29 *           19 **    $12,917,473 ***
SSA-8000 (Paper Version).............          34,244               1              40          22,829         21.29 *           19 **        716,898 ***
Internet SSI (iSSI) converted into              1,080               1              20             360         21.29 *           19 **         14,946 ***
 CCE intranet full application.......
                                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total............................         709,478  ..............  ..............         416,446  ..............  ..............     13,649,317 ***
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* We based this figure by averaging both the average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2023 data (https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2023factsheet.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).
** We based this figure on averaging both the average FY 2023 wait times for field offices and teleservice centers, based on SSA's 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) 0960-0444/SSA-8001, Application for Supplemental Security 
Income (Deferred or Abbreviated).
    SSA uses this shortened version of the SSI application to determine 
an applicant's potential eligibility for SSI, specifically to (1) 
provide a formal notification when non-medical information the 
applicant provides results in ineligibility; or (2) defer the complete 
development of non-medical issues until the DDS approves the medical 
portion of the disability process.
    Specifically, SSA technicians use the SSA-8001 when the filing 
respondents seem to meet the non-medical eligibility requirements for 
at least one month and SSA can defer other development until the 
respondent receives a notice of medical allowance. After the initial 
interview and upon receiving medical allowance, technicians contact 
respondents who filed for SSI using the SSA-8001 to develop any 
deferred issues and update the information about income and resources 
from the time the respondent filed the application up to the month the 
respondent received SSA's approval. At that point, SSA technicians use 
the Intranet version of the SSA-8000 to develop the remaining necessary 
information (from the perspective of the applicant, through a personal 
interview).
    SSA anticipates that the majority of respondents for the new iSSI 
would have otherwise completed the SSA-8001. Accordingly, we are 
revising the burden for the SSA-8001 to reflect this reduction:

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                        Average wait
                                                                                                           Average      time in field
                                          Number of     Frequency of   Average burden     Estimated      theoretical    office or for     Total annual
        Modality of completion           respondents      response      per response    total annual     cost amount     teleservice    opportunity cost
                                                                          (minutes)    burden (hours)    (dollars) *       centers       (dollars) ***
                                                                                                                        (minutes) **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Intranet CCE or SSI Claims System....         426,388               1              28         198,981        $21.29 *           19 **     $7,110,945 ***
Internet Claim System (iSSI) First         76,500 \+\               1               6           7,650         12.81 *  ..............         97,997 ***
 party...............................
Internet Claim System (iSSI) Third         71,000 \+\               1               6           7,100         29.76 *  ..............        211,296 ***
 party...............................
SSA-8001 (Paper Version).............          38,304               1              28          17,875         21.29 *           19 **        638,806 ***
                                      ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total............................         612,192  ..............  ..............         231,606  ..............  ..............      8,059,044 ***
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+ We are not double counting the number of respondents in this ICR, as we do not account for the iSSI (iClaim) respondents under 0960-0618, we only
  account for them here.
* We based this figure by averaging both the average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2022 data (https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2023factsheet.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), as well as the average of both the average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2023 data and the average U.S. worker's hourly wages,
  as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics.
** We based this figure on averaging both the average FY 2023 wait times for field offices and teleservice centers, based on SSA's 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 53948]]

What Will the Benefits of iSSI Be in Comparison to Our Current 
Processes?

     iSSI will be much simpler than the current process for the 
early stages of the SSI application process. Rather than completing a 
paper form, calling or visiting a field office to preserve a protective 
filing date, or assembling significant amounts of information to begin 
an application, the applicants will now just need to start the online 
DIB application process and answer the new iSSI basic eligibility 
questions. Once SSA receives the answers to the questions, we will 
determine whether further development is needed, and will contact the 
claimant if necessary.
     iSSI will also be more convenient and somewhat faster than 
the initial stages of the current application process. Primarily, this 
is because the iClaim system pre-populates information from SSA's 
records for authenticated applicants that the applicant might otherwise 
have needed to provide. As well, iSSI will seamlessly move the 
applicant on to the other next steps described above (e.g., completion 
of the i3368). Moreover, applicants will save time that might have been 
required for a field office visit or a phone appointment.
     Finally, iSSI will, for the first time, offer an 
electronic option to non-U.S. citizens. Currently, a non-U.S. citizen 
is told they will be contacted by an SSA employee to initiate an 
application. With iSSI, we will be able to utilize citizenship and 
country information from SSA's records for authenticated applicants.

    Dated: August 3, 2023.
Naomi Sipple,
Reports Clearance Officer, Office of Regulations and Reports Clearance, 
Office of Legislation and Congressional Affairs, Social Security 
Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-16994 Filed 8-8-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P