Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and 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 a new information collection, and 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, Fax: 202-395-6974, Email address: [email protected].

(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].

I. The information collections below are pending at SSA. SSA will submit them 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 September 2, 2014. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection instruments by writing to the above email address.

1. Statement of Funds You Provided to Another and Statement of Funds You Received--20 CFR 404.1520(b), 404.1571-404.1576, 404.1584-404.1593 and 416.971-416.976--0960-0059. SSA uses Form SSA-821-BK to collect employment information to determine whether applicants or recipients worked after becoming disabled and, if so, whether the work is substantial gainful activity. SSA's field offices use Form SSA-821-BK to obtain work information during the initial claims process, the continuing disability review process, and for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) claims involving work issues. SSA's processing centers and the Office of Disability and International Operations use the form to obtain post-adjudicative work issue from recipients. SSA reviews and evaluates the data to determine if the applicant or recipient meets the disability requirements of the law. The respondents are Title II and Title XVI disability applicants or recipients.

Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information collection. GOES

Modality of....Number of......Frequency of.. Average........Estimated

completion.... respondents....response...... burden per.... total annual

............................................ response...... burden

............................................ (minutes)......(hours)

SSA-821-BK.... 300,000........1..............30............ 150,000

2. Coverage of Employees of State and Local Governments--20 CFR 404, Subpart M--0960-0425. The Code of Federal Regulations at 20 CFR 404, Subpart M, prescribes the rules for States submitting reports of deposits and recordkeeping to SSA. These regulations require States (and interstate instrumentalities) to provide wage and deposit contribution information for pre-1987 periods. Since some States still need to satisfy their pending wage report and contribution liability with SSA for pre-1987 tax years completely, SSA needs these regulations until we can close out all pending items with all States. We also need these regulations to provide for collection of this information in the future, if necessary. The respondents are State and local governments or interstate instrumentalities.

Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information collection. GOES

Regulation.... Number of......Frequency of.. Average........Estimated

section........respondents....response...... burden per.... total annual

............................................ response...... burden (hours)

............................................ (minutes)

404. 1204(a) & 52............ 1..............30............ 26

(b)

404.1215...... 52............ 1..............60............ 52

404. 1216(a) & 52............ 1..............60............ 52

(b)

Total..........156..........................................130

3. Marital Relationship Questionnaire--20 CFR 416.1826--0960-0460. SSA uses Form SSA-4178, Marital Relationship Questionnaire, to determine if unrelated individuals of the opposite sex who live together are misrepresenting themselves as husband and wife. SSA needs this information to determine whether we are making correct payments to couples and individuals applying for, or currently receiving, SSI payments. The respondents are applicants for and recipients of SSI payments.

Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information collection. GOES

Modality of completion................Number of Frequency Average.. Estimated

......................................responses of........burden....total

................................................response..per...... annual

..........................................................response..burden

..........................................................(minutes) (hours)

SSA-4178..............................5,100.... 1........ 5........ 425

II. SSA submitted the information collections below to OMB for clearance. Your comments regarding the 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 August 1, 2014. Individuals can obtain copies of the OMB clearance packages by writing to [email protected].

1. National Beneficiary Survey--0960-NEW. SSA is proposing to undertake the National Beneficiary Survey (NBS), a survey intended to gather data from SSI recipients and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries about their characteristics, their well-being, and other factors that promote or hinder employment. In particular, the survey seeks to uncover important information about the factors that promote beneficiary self-sufficiency and, conversely, factors that impede beneficiary efforts to maintain employment. We will use this data to improve the administration and effectiveness of the SSDI and SSI programs. These results will be valuable as SSA and other policymakers continue efforts to improve programs and services that help SSDI beneficiaries and SSI recipients become more self-sufficient.

Background

SSDI and SSI programs provide a crucial and necessary safety net for working-age people with disabilities. By improving employment outcomes for SSDI beneficiaries and SSI recipients, SSA supports the effort to reduce the reliance of people with disabilities on these programs. SSA conducted the prior NBS in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2010, and was an important first step in understanding the work interest and experiences of SSI recipients and SSDI beneficiaries, and in gaining information about their impairments, health, living arrangements, family structure, pre-disability occupation, and use of non-SSA programs (e.g., the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). The prior NBS data is available to researchers and the public.

The National Beneficiary Survey (NBS)

The primary purpose of the new NBS-General Waves is to assess beneficiary well-being and interest in work, learn about beneficiary work experiences (successful and unsuccessful), and identify factors that promote or restrict long-term work success. Information collected in the survey includes factors such as health, living arrangements, family structure, current occupation, use of non-SSA programs, knowledge of SSDI and SSI work incentive programs, obstacles to work, and beneficiary interest and motivation to return to work. We propose to conduct the first wave of the NBS-General Waves in 2015. We will further conduct subsequent rounds in 2017 (round 2) and 2019 (round 3). The information we will collect is not available from SSA administrative data or other sources. In the NBS-General Waves, the sample design is similar to what we used for the prior NBS. Enhancement of the prior questionnaire includes additional questions on the factors that promote or hinder employment success. We also propose to conduct semi-structured qualitative interviews (in 2015 only) to provide SSA an in-depth understanding of factors that aid or inhibit individuals in their efforts to obtain and retain employment and advance in the workplace. We will use the qualitative data to add context and understanding when interpreting survey results, and to inform the sample and survey design of rounds 2 and 3. Respondents are current SSDI beneficiaries and SSI recipients. Respondent participation in the NBS is voluntary and the decision to participate or not has no impact on current or future receipt of payments or benefits.

Type of Request: This is a new information collection request.

--This is a summary of a Federal Register article originally published on the page number listed below--

Citation: "79 FR 37828"

Federal Register Page Number: "37828"

"Notices"