Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and Comment Request

SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and

Comment Request

In compliance with Public Law 104-13, the Paperwork Reduction Act

of 1995, SSA is providing notice of its information collections that

require submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). 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 on ways to minimize burden on

respondents, including the use of automated collection techniques or

other forms of information technology.

I. The information collection listed below will be submitted to OMB

within 60 days from the date of this notice. Therefore, comments and

recommendations regarding the information collection would be most

useful if received by the Agency within 60 days from the date of this

publication. Comments should be directed to the SSA Reports Clearance

Officer at the address listed at the end of this publication. You can

obtain a copy of the collection instrument by calling the SSA Reports

Clearance Officer on (410) 965-4145, or by writing to him at the

address listed at the end of this publication.

1. Public Understanding Measurement System--0960-NEW. SSA has

contracted with the Gallup Organization to conduct surveys to gather

data on the public's level of knowledge about Social Security programs.

The 1998 Public Understanding Measurement System (PUMS) survey

indicated that 45 percent of the population has a lack of understanding

of the major Social Security program areas. The 1999 and future Public

Understanding Measurement System (PUMS II) surveys will enable SSA to

build upon the 1998 PUMS quantitative baseline measure of public

understanding.

An annual survey will provide tracking data of public understanding

of SSA programs against which the outcomes of SSA performance

improvement efforts can be assessed. Eight quarterly targeted surveys

will test the effectiveness of several specific communications and

public information outreach efforts.

PUMS II is essential to SSA's goal of strengthening public

understanding about Social Security programs. The relevant Agency goal

contained in SSA's strategic plan is that by the year 2005, 90 percent

of all American adults will be knowledgeable about Social Security

programs in five broad areas: basic program facts; the financial value

of programs to individuals; the economic and social impact of SSA

programs; how the programs are financed today; and financing issues.

The respondents will be randomly selected adults residing in the United

States.

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Annual survey Quarterly surveys

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Number of Respondents................ 4,000..................................... 12,000.

Frequency of Response................ 1......................................... 1.

Average Burden Per Response.......... 12 minutes................................ 12 minutes.

Estimated Annual Burden.............. 800 hours................................. 2,400 hours.

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II. The information collections listed below have been submitted to

OMB for clearance. Written comments and recommendations on the

information collections would be most useful if received within 30 days

from the date of this publication. Comments should be directed to the

SSA Reports Clearance Officer and the OMB Desk Officer at the addresses

listed at the end of this publication. You can obtain a copy of the OMB

clearance packages by calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer on

(410) 965-4145, or by writing to him.

1. Supplemental Security Income Notice of Interim Assistance

Reimbursement (two forms)--0960-0546. Please note that these forms were

previously approved under 2 OMB numbers, form SSA-8125, 0960-0546 and

SSA-L8125-F6, 0960-0563. However, because these forms are interrelated

SSA is combining them under 0960-0546. Form SSA-8125 and SSA-L8125-F6,

previously 0960-0563, collect interim assistance reimbursement (IAR)

information from the States that provide such assistance. Form SSA-8125

is used in situations where IAR can be distributed directly to the

recipient after the State has deducted the amount of assistance it

provided. Form SSA-L8125-F6 is used in situations where a recipient

entitled to underpayments has received IAR from a State and SSA will

control the benefit through the installment process. The respondents

are States that provide IAR to SSI claimants.

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SSA-8125 SSA-L8125-F6

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Number of Respondents................ 50,000.................................... 50,000.

Frequency of Response................ 1......................................... 1.

Average Burden Per Response.......... 10 minutes................................ 10 minutes.

Estimated Annual Burden.............. 8,333 hours............................... 8,333 hours.

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2. Request for Information--0960-0607. The information collected

through this form letter will be used by SSA's Office of the Inspector

General (OIG) to conduct periodic eligibility reviews of beneficiaries

residing in foreign countries. The form is designed to replace the

current time-consuming and expensive method of conducting these reviews

by selecting sample cases and conducting in person interviews. The form

will permit OIG to review all beneficiary residents of the foreign

country under study, thereby narrowing the scope of the beneficiaries

requiring

[[Page 41174]]

in person visits to those who do not respond or to those who provide

questionable evidence. The respondents are Social Security

beneficiaries residing in foreign countries.

Number of Respondents: 900.

Frequency of Response: 1.

Average Burden Per Response: 30 minutes.

Estimated Annual Burden: 450 hours.

(Please note that this information collection received emergency

approval from OMB on July 19, 1999. Emergency consideration was

requested due to the time constraints associated with the normal

clearance process, which conflicted with OIG's mission of combating

fraud waste and abuse of SSA programs. Notice of the emergency request

was published in the Federal Register on June 21, 1999. SSA plans to

conduct eligibility reviews of beneficiaries residing in foreign

countries on a scheduled basis and is therefore continuing to seek

normal clearance of this collection.)

3. Application for Parent's Insurance Benefits--0960-0012. The

information collected on form SSA-7 is used by the Social Security

Administration to determine entitlement of an individual to parent's

insurance benefits. The respondents are parents who were dependents of

the worker for at least one-half of their support.

Number of Respondents: 1,400.

Frequency of Response: 1.

Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.

Estimated Annual Burden: 350 hours.

(SSA Address)

Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Frederick W. Brickenkamp,

6401 Security Blvd., 1-A-21 Operations Bldg., Baltimore, MD 21235

(OMB Address)

Office of Management and Budget, OIRA, Attn: Desk Officer for SSA, New

Executive Office Building, Room 10230, 725 17th St., NW., Washington,

D.C. 20503

Dated: July 21, 1999.

Frederick W. Brickenkamp,

Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.

[FR Doc. 99-19101 Filed 7-28-99; 8:45 am]

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