[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 243 (Wednesday, December 20, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Page 88209]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-27955]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No. SSA-2023-0047]


Rate for Assessment on Direct Payment of Fees to Representatives 
in 2024

AGENCY: Social Security Administration.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Social Security Administration (SSA) is announcing the 
assessment percentage rate under the Social Security Act (Act) is 6.3 
percent for 2024.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mona B. Ahmed, Associate General 
Counsel for Program Law, Office of the General Counsel, Social Security 
Administration, 6401 Security Boulevard, Baltimore, MD 21235-6401. 
Phone: (410) 965-0600, email: [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: A claimant may appoint a qualified 
individual as a representative to act on their behalf in matters before 
the SSA. If the claimant is entitled to past-due benefits and was 
represented either by an attorney or by a non-attorney representative 
who has met certain prerequisites, the Act provides that we shall 
withhold up to 25 percent of the past-due benefits and use that money 
to pay the representative's approved fee directly to the 
representative.
    When we pay the representative's approved fee directly to the 
representative, we must collect from that fee payment an assessment to 
recover the costs we incur in determining and paying representatives' 
fees. The Act provides that the assessment we collect will be the 
lesser of two amounts: a specified dollar limit; or the amount 
determined by multiplying the fee we are paying by the assessment 
percentage rate.\1\
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    \1\ 42 U.S.C. 406(d), 406(e), and 1383(d)(2).
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    The Act initially set the dollar limit at $75 in 2004 and provides 
that the limit will be adjusted annually based on changes in the cost-
of-living.\2\ Currently, the maximum dollar limit for the assessment is 
$117, as we announced in the Federal Register on October 23, 2023 (88 
FR 72803).
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    \2\ 42 U.S.C. 406(d)(2)(A) and 1383(d)(2)(C)(ii)(I).
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    The Act requires us, each year, to set the assessment percentage 
rate at the lesser of 6.3 percent or the percentage rate necessary to 
achieve full recovery of the costs we incur to determine and pay 
representatives' fees.\3\ Based on the best available data, we have 
determined that the current rate of 6.3 percent will continue for 2024. 
We will continue to review our costs for these services on a yearly 
basis.
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    \3\ 42 U.S.C. 406(d)(2)(B)(ii) and 1383(d)(2)(C)(ii)(II).

Chad Poist,
Deputy Commissioner, Office of Budget, Finance, and Management, Social 
Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2023-27955 Filed 12-19-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P