Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No: SSA-2022-0046]

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-2022-0046].

(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:

OR.Reports.Clearance@ssa.gov

Or you may submit your comments online through

https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain,

referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-2022-0046].

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 September 26, 2022. Individuals can obtain copies of these OMB clearance packages by writing to

OR.Reports.Clearance@ssa.gov.

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.

Modality of completion

Number of

respondents

Frequency of

response

Average

burden per

response

(minutes)

Estimated total

annual burden

(hours)

Average

theoretical

hourly cost

amount

(dollars) *

Total annual

opportunity

cost

(dollars) **

SSA-7163A-F4

19

1

60

19

* $16.70

** $317

* We based this figure on the average farming occupations hourly wages, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (

https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes450000.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.

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 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.

Modality of completion

Number of

respondents

Frequency of

response

Average

burden per

response

(minutes)

Estimated total

annual burden

(hours)

Average

theoretical

hourly cost

amount

(dollars) *

Average wait

time in field

office or for

teleservice centers

(minutes) **

Total annual

opportunity cost

(dollars) ***

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

* 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

).

** 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. SSA fills out Form SSA-L2794, and mails it to the respondent along with a cover letter explaining why we need the information and what information we are requesting, and a prepaid envelope to send the SSA-L2794 back to SSA. 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.

Modality of completion

Number of

respondents

Frequency of

response

Average

burden per

response

(minutes)

Estimated total

annual burden

(hours)

Average

theoretical

hourly cost

amount

(dollars) *

Total annual

opportunity cost

(dollars) **

SSA-L2794

300

1

20

100

* $23.45

** $2,345

* 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) with a prepaid envelope to send back to SSA. 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.

Modality of completion

Number of

respondents

Frequency of

response

Average

burden per

response

(minutes)

Estimated total

annual burden

(hours)

Average

theoretical

hourly cost

amount

(dollars) *

Total annual

opportunity

cost

(dollars) **

SSA-L4112

13,114

1

10

2,186

* $28.01

** $61,230

* 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.

Modality of completion

Number of

respondents

Frequency of

response

Average

burden per

response

(minutes)

Estimated total

annual burden

(hours)

Average

theoretical

hourly cost

amount

(dollars) *

Average wait

time in field office

(minutes) **

Total annual

opportunity cost

(dollars) ***

SSA-4162

1,563

1

10

261

* $11.70

** 24

*** $10,366

* 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 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.

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 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.

Modality of completion

Number of

respondents

Frequency of

response

Average

burden per

response

(minutes)

Estimated total

annual burden

(hours)

Average

theoretical

hourly cost

amount

(dollars) *

Average wait

time for

teleservice

centers

(minutes) **

Total annual

opportunity cost

(dollars) ***

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

* 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.

Modality of completion

Number of

respondents

Frequency of

response

Average

burden per

response

(minutes)

Estimated total

annual burden

(hours)

Average

theoretical

hourly cost

amount

(dollars) *

Total annual

opportunity cost

(dollars) **

SSA-4111

30,000

1

2

1,000

* $28.01

** $28,010

* 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: August 22, 2022.

Naomi Sipple,

Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.

[FR Doc. 2022-18391 Filed 8-25-22; 8:45 am]

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