[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 204 (Tuesday, October 22, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 84431-84435]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-24391]


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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No: SSA-2024-0040]


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 two new collections for OMB approval, as well as 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
(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: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#440b166a1621342b3630376a0728212536252a2721043737256a232b32"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="6c233e423e091c031e181f422f00090d1e0d020f092c1f1f0d420b031a">[email protected]</span></a>

    Or you may submit your comments online through https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAmain by clicking on Currently under 
Review--Open for Public Comments and choosing to click on one of SSA's 
published items. Please reference Docket ID Number [SSA-2024-0040] in 
your submitted response.
    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 November 21, 2024. Individuals can obtain copies of 
these OMB clearance packages by writing to the 
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#a8e7fa86facdd8c7dadcdb86ebc4cdc9dac9c6cbcde8dbdbc986cfc7de"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="dd928ff38fb8adb2afa9aef39eb1b8bcafbcb3beb89daeaebcf3bab2ab">[email protected]</span></a>.
    1. New Applicant Survey (NAS)--0960-NEW. Background: The Social 
Security Administration (SSA) provides income assistance to more than 
13 million working-age adults and children with disabilities through 
the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental 
Security Income (SSI) programs. To evaluate these respondents as they 
navigate SSA's application process, we are implementing the New 
Applicant Survey (NAS). The objective of the New Applicant Survey (NAS) 
is to provide SSA's Office of Research, Demonstration, and Employment 
Support (ORDES) with information about recent applicants' experience at 
different stages or touchpoints in the disability application process. 
SSA will use findings from the survey to inform testable policy 
interventions to improve the application experience for applicant.
    NAS Description: The primary goal of NAS is to help SSA improve our 
current application process through the use of feedback from the public 
who use it. The research questions and survey will allow SSA to 
evaluate current practices and improve upon them. Ultimately, we expect 
the purpose of this survey will help SSA to implement a better overall 
application experience for respondents, as they use SSA's systems.

[[Page 84432]]

    To provide information to SSA regarding applicants' experiences at 
the different touchpoints in the disability application process, SSA's 
evaluation will include the following analysis components:
    <bullet> Comparison of Characteristics: Comparing characteristics 
of non-respondents (or the total sample) to those of respondents using 
information available for both non-respondents and respondents.
    <bullet> Modeling: Modeling response propensity using multivariate 
analyses, including observation and analysis of several outcome 
variables.
    <bullet> Evaluation of Differences: Evaluating differences found in 
comparisons between unadjusted (i.e., base-) weighted estimates of 
selected sampling frame characteristics based on the survey respondents 
and the corresponding population (frame) parameter.
    <bullet> Comparison of Estimates: Comparing weighted survey 
estimates (e.g., selected error rates by type) using unadjusted (base) 
weights versus nonresponse-adjusted weights.
    We expect the NAS will help SSA answer the following research 
questions:
    <bullet> What are the pre- and post-application employment 
experiences of awarded and denied SSDI and SSI applicants?
    <bullet> What employment-, vocational-, medical-, or income-related 
services and supports did applicants use leading up to and since 
application?
    <bullet> What sources of information about SSDI or SSI did the 
applicant use or have access to?
    <bullet> What were the applicants' experiences with representation 
during the application or post-application periods?
    SSA will conduct this survey with 10,000 respondents nationally. 
SSA will provide a list of recent adult applicants who have applied for 
Social Security disability benefits to the contractor to use for sample 
selection. To ensure that sampled applicants have recent experiences 
with the application process, we will restrict the target population to 
those who have applied, appealed, or received a determination in the 
six months prior to sampling. The sample will include individuals to 
whom SSA awarded benefits (beneficiaries), those to whom SSA denied 
benefits, as well as applicants who remain at different stages of the 
application process.
    For this survey, we will use the following methods for recruitment:

<bullet> SSA Announcement
<bullet> Email to Appointed Representative from Appointed 
Representative Associations
<bullet> Email to Appointed Representative (Directly)
<bullet> First USPS Mailing to All Applicants, which will include a 
small cash incentive of $2, a letter, and an information sheet
<bullet> Second USPS Mailing to All Applicants
<bullet> Third USPS Mailing to Nonrespondents
<bullet> Fourth USPS Mailing to Nonrespondents
<bullet> Fifth contact introducing the telephone modality.

    As part of recruitment, we will also conduct experiments regarding 
more cash incentives, invitations to complete the survey using multiple 
modalities (internet, paper, telephone), as well as an early-bird 
incentive.
    The Survey Instrument: The survey asks questions that focus on the 
applicant's experience with different aspects of the application 
process. We will use it to collect data from 10,000 new applicants at 
different touchpoints in the application process to understand 
applicant experiences at each stage and obtain the information needed 
to address the research questions.
    To accommodate respondent preferences, we will create three 
modalities of the survey instrument: internet-based, automated-
telephone, and paper. The internet and telephone versions will have 
essentially the same design as these modalities, by using dynamic 
pathing. This will facilitate the automatic skipping of questions based 
on the respondents' earlier responses. We will include instructions and 
formatting on the paper instrument which will also allow the 
respondents to skip questions based on previous responses; however, 
they will be able to see all of the questions (which is not the case on 
the internet and telephone versions).
    The survey questions will focus on the following applicant 
experiences:
    <bullet> Touchpoints in the application process completed and 
applicants' experience with the most recent touchpoints;
    <bullet> Use of appointed representatives;
    <bullet> Actions taken when applicants receive an unfavorable SSA 
decision;
    <bullet> Use of and experience with SSA services;
    <bullet> Recommendations for improvements to the application 
process;
    <bullet> Personal financial environment including use of assistance 
programs;
    <bullet> Personal support system; and
    <bullet> Demographic information.
    SSA will use the information we collect from this survey to 
understand applicants' experiences at different stages in the 
application process, as well as the types of SSA services applicants 
accessed, and to evaluate changes to the application process that could 
potentially improve applicants' experience.
    We will encourage respondents to complete the survey via the 
internet modality, but will not restrict them, or penalize respondents 
who choose a different method (paper or telephone). We will require 
informed consent for all participants.
    Ultimately, we expect the survey will help SSA to implement a 
better overall application experience for respondents, as they use 
SSA's systems.
    The respondents are current SSA beneficiaries who have undergone 
the application process; individuals to whom SSA denied benefits; 
applicants for Social Security services in various stages of the 
application process, and their representatives (as applicable).
    Type of Request: Request for a new information collection.

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                                                                                                                              Average
                                                                                              Average        Estimated      theoretical    Total annual
                 Modality of completion                      Number of     Frequency  of    burden per     total annual     hourly cost     opportunity
                                                            respondents      response        response         burden          amount           cost
                                                                                             (minutes)        (hours)       (dollars) *    (dollars) **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internet Survey (including informed consent and                    5,000               1              35           2,917           $7.25         $21,148
 screener)..............................................
Paper Survey (including informed consent and screener)..           3,500               1              35           2,280            7.25          16,530
Telephone Survey (including informed consent and                   1,500               1              40           1,000            7.25           7,250
 screener)..............................................
                                                         -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals..............................................          10,000  ..............  ..............           6,197  ..............          44,928
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* We base this figure on the Federal minimum wage of $7.25, as survey participants will have recently applied for SSA disability benefits and will
  typically not have started receiving benefits yet (https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/minimumwage).
Note: Our contractor will schedule an appointment to call the recipient at their preferred date and time; therefore, the respondents will not incur an
  average wait time.

[[Page 84433]]

 
** 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. Statutory Benefit Continuation Election Statement--20 CFR 
404.1597a, and 416.996--0960-NEW. Sections 223(g) and 1631(a)(7) of the 
Social Security Act (Act) provide that, when a disability Title II 
beneficiary or Title XVI recipient requests an appeal of a Social 
Security Administration's (SSA) determination stating that their 
physical or mental impairment(s) ceased or is no longer disabling 
during a continuing disability review (CDR), the individual has the 
right to request disability benefits continue during their appeal. This 
process, known as Statutory Benefit Continuation (SBC), follows 
regulations set forth in 20 CFR 404.1597a(f) and 416.996(c-d) of the 
Code of Federal Regulations (Code). Currently, when SSA determines an 
individual's disability ceased or is no longer disabling, SSA sends the 
individual a notice of benefit termination informing them within 10 
days after receipt of the notice their disability benefits will end, 
and they must submit in writing, or use Form SSA-795, Statement of 
Claimant or Other Person (OMB No. 0960-0045), to complete a statement 
to elect or decline continuation of benefits. However, Form SSA-795 
does not specifically address SBC elections, which often leads to 
incomplete submissions for those cases. For SBC cases, SSA's field 
office staff frequently need to follow-up with individuals to clarify 
their election or explain the available options. The SBC election is 
effective until SSA makes the determination or decision at the 
applicable appeal level. SSA requires the individual to make a separate 
election at each level of appeal, through the hearing level before an 
administrative law judge (ALJ). SBC is not available at the appeals 
council (AC) or federal court levels; however, if the AC remands a case 
back to the ALJ hearing level, and the individual did not previously 
elect SBC, SSA grants the individual another opportunity to make an SBC 
election at that time. If the individual elected SBC at a prior ALJ 
hearing level, the field office (FO) automatically reinstates SBC after 
the AC sends the case to the hearing office. The FO reinstates benefits 
retroactive to the first month of non-payment resulting from the now 
vacated prior ALJ decision. A claimant has two opportunities to elect 
SBC during the appeal process: (1) the claimant can request SBC when 
appealing at the reconsideration level and then again at the hearing 
level, and (2) the claimant can request SBC at the hearing level only.
    The following individuals are eligible for SCB: SSI recipients 
whose benefits are based on disability or blindness; primary disability 
insurance beneficiaries; auxiliaries receiving benefits on the record 
of a primary disability beneficiary, disabled widow or widowers, 
disabled adult children; mothers or fathers receiving benefits based on 
having a disabled adult child in their care, and mothers or fathers 
receiving benefits based on having in their care a child under age 18 
but over age 15 who is disabled and receiving child's benefits.
    SSA is requesting OMB approval of Form SSA-792, Statutory Benefit 
Continuation Election Statement to standardize our collection of an 
individual's benefit continuation election choice. Form SSA-792 will 
allow the individual to elect from a variety of options available to 
them for continued disability benefits and Medicare coverage. The 
respondents are Title II and Title XVI disability beneficiaries and 
recipients and Title II auxiliaries.
    Type of Request: Request for a new information collection.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                              Average
                                                                              Average        Estimated      theoretical    Average wait    Total annual
         Modality of completion              Number of     Frequency  of    burden per     total  annual    hourly cost    time in field    opportunity
                                            respondents      response        response         burden          amount          office           cost
                                                                             (minutes)        (hours)       (dollars) *    (minutes) **    (dollars) ***
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reconsideration Appeal Level: Form SSA-           60,038               1              40          40,025        * $22.39           ** 24  *** $1,433,856
 792....................................
Hearing Appeal Level: Form SSA-792......          17,107               1              40          11,405         * 22.39           ** 24     *** 408,573
                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals..............................          77,145  ..............  ..............          51,430  ..............  ..............   *** 1,842,429
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* We based this figure on the average of both DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2024 data (https://mwww.ba.ssa.gov/legislation/2024FactSheet.pdf),
  and 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 the average FY 2024 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.

    3. Disability Report-Appeal--20 CFR 404.1512, 416.912, 404.916(c), 
416.1416(c), 422.140, 404.1713, 416.1513, 404.1740(b)(4), 
416.1540(b)(4), and 405 Subpart C--0960-0144. SSA requires disability 
applicants who wish to appeal an unfavorable determination to complete 
Form SSA-3441-BK; the associated Electronic Disability Collect System 
(EDCS) interview; or the internet application, i3441. This allows 
claimants to disclose any changes to their disability, or resources, 
which might influence SSA's unfavorable determination. SSA may use the 
information to: (1) reconsider and review an initial disability 
determination; (2) review a continuing disability; and (3) evaluate a 
request for a hearing. This information assists the State Disability 
Determination Services (DDS) and ALJ in preparing for the appeals and 
hearings, and in issuing a determination or decision on an individual's 
entitlement (initial or continuing) to disability benefits. In 
addition, the information we collect on the SSA-3441-BK, or related 
modalities, facilitates SSA's collection of medical information to 
support the applicant's request for reconsideration; request for 
benefits cessation appeal; and request for a hearing before an ALJ. 
Respondents are individuals who appeal denial, reduction, or cessation 
of Social Security disability benefits and Supplemental Security Income 
(SSI) payments; individuals who wish to request a hearing before an 
ALJ; or their representatives.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

[[Page 84434]]



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                              Average
                                                                              Average        Estimated      theoretical    Average wait    Total annual
         Modality of completion              Number of     Frequency  of    burden per     total  annual    hourly cost    time in field    opportunity
                                            respondents      response        response         burden          amount          office           cost
                                                                             (minutes)        (hours)       (dollars) *    (minutes) **    (dollars) ***
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SSA-3441-BK (Paper Form)................          24,645               1              50          20,538        * $13.31  ..............    *** $273,361
Electronic Disability Collect System             159,971               1              50         133,309         * 13.31           ** 24   *** 2,626,023
 (EDCS)--Individuals....................
Electronic Disability Collect System              44,192               1              45          33,144         * 58.40  ..............   *** 1,935,610
 (EDCS)--Representatives................
i3441 (Internet Application)--                   696,896               1              33         383,293         * 13.31  ..............   *** 5,101,630
 Individuals............................
i3441 (Internet Application)--                   583,031               1              28         272,081         * 58.40  ..............  *** 15,889,530
 Representatives........................
                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals..............................       1,508,735  ..............  ..............         842,365  ..............  ..............  *** 25,826,154
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* We based these figures on average DI hourly wages for single students based on SSA's current FY 2024 data (https://mwww.ba.ssa.gov/legislation/2024FactSheet.pdf) and average U.S. citizen's hourly salary, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes231011.htm), as well as a combination of those two figures (for the paper form, as we do not collect data on whether the paper forms are filled out
  by individuals or representatives or both).
** We based this figure on the average FY 2024 wait times for field offices, and the average teleservice wait time 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.

    4. Request for 800# Automated Telephone Services Knowledge-Based 
Authentication (RISA-KBA)--20 CFR 401.45--0960-0596. The Request for 
800# Automated Telephone Services Knowledge-Based Authentication is the 
knowledge-based authentication method SSA uses to allow individuals 
access to their personal information through our Automated Telephone 
Services. SSA's system asks requestors using the automated telephone 
services to provide additional identifying information unique to those 
individuals so SSA can authenticate their identities before releasing 
personal information. The system requests this unique identifying 
information to authenticate both individuals and third parties who use 
our automated telephone system to seek personal information from SSA 
records, or to make changes to SSA records. The respondents are current 
beneficiaries, or third parties who use the automated telephone system 
to request personal information from SSA.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                            Average
                                                                                      Average  burden     Estimated       theoretical      Total annual
              Modality of completion                   Number of      Frequency  of    per  response     total annual     hourly cost      opportunity
                                                      respondents        response        (minutes)     burden  (hours)       amount      cost  (dollars)
                                                                                                                          (dollars) *           **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Automated Telephone Requestors....................       1,716,315                1                4          114,421         * $31.48    ** $3,601,973
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* We based these figures on average U.S. citizen's hourly salary, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes231011.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. Prohibition of Payment of SSI Benefits to Fugitive Felons and 
Parole/Probation Violators--20 CFR 416.708(o)--0960-0617. Section 
1611(e)(4) of the Act precludes eligibility for SSI payments for 
certain fugitives and probation or parole violators. Our regulation at 
20 CFR 416.708(o) requires individuals applying for, or receiving SSI 
to report to SSA that: (1) they are fleeing to avoid prosecution for a 
crime; (2) they are fleeing to avoid custody or confinement after 
conviction of a crime; or (3) they are violating a condition of 
probation or parole. SSA uses the information we receive to determine 
eligibility on an initial claim for SSI payments or a redetermination 
of existing recipients. The collection is mandatory to ensure that an 
applicant or recipient does not have a warrant for one of the three 
fleeing codes. If the respondent has a warrant for one of the three 
fleeing codes, SSA uses this information to deny payments. The 
respondents are SSI applicants and recipients, or their representative 
payees, who are reporting their status as a fugitive felon or probation 
or parole violator.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                            Average
                                                                                      Average  burden     Estimated       theoretical      Total annual
              Modality of completion                   Number of      Frequency  of    per  response     total annual     hourly cost      opportunity
                                                      respondents        response        (minutes)     burden  (hours)       amount      cost  (dollars)
                                                                                                                          (dollars) *           **
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fugitive Felon and Parole or Probation Violation             1,000                1                1               17          $31.48*           $535**
 screens within the SSI Claims System.............
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* We based this figure on average U.S. worker's hourly wages, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#00-0000).
** 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. Testimony by Employees and the Production of Records and 
Information in Legal Proceedings--20 CFR 403.100-403.155--0960-0619. 
Regulations at 20 CFR 403.100-403.155 of the Code establish SSA's 
policies and procedures

[[Page 84435]]

for an individual; organization; or government entity to request 
official agency information, records, or testimony of an agency 
employee in a legal proceeding when the agency is not a party. The 
request, which respondents submit in writing to SSA, must: (1) fully 
set out the nature and relevance of the sought testimony; (2) explain 
why the information is not available by other means; (3) explain why it 
is in SSA's interest to provide the testimony; and (4) provide the 
date, time, and place for the testimony. Respondents are individuals or 
entities who request testimony from SSA employees in connection with a 
legal proceeding.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                                        Average
                                                                                Average  burden     Estimated         theoretical        Total annual
           Modality of completion                Number of      Frequency  of    per  response     total annual       hourly cost      opportunity  cost
                                                respondents        response        (minutes)     burden  (hours)   amount  (dollars)     (dollars) **
                                                                                                                           *
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
20 CFR 403.100-403.155......................              50                1               60               50            * $31.48           ** $1,574
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* We based this figure on the average U.S. worker's mean hourly wages, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#00-0000).
** 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 October 17, 2024.
Tasha Harley,
Acting Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-24391 Filed 10-21-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P


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