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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 247 (Thursday, December 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 105170-105173]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-30764]

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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No: SSA-2024-0055]

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed 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 one new request, as well as extensions 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
(SSA) Social Security Administration, OLCA, Attn: Reports Clearance 
Director, Mail Stop 3253 Altmeyer, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 
21235, Fax: 833-410-1631, Email

[[Page 105171]]

address: [email protected]

    Or you may submit your comments online through https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAmain by clicking on Currently under 
Revie--Open for Public Comments and choosing to click on one of SSA's 
published items. Please reference Docket ID Number [SSA-2024-0055] in 
your submitted response.
    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 
February 24, 2025. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection 
instruments by writing to the above email address.
    1. Request for Hearing by Administrative Law Judge--20 CFR 404.929, 
404.933, 416.1429, 404.1433, 418.1350, and 42 CFR 405.722--0960-0269. 
When SSA denies applicants', claimants', or beneficiaries' requests for 
new or continuing disability benefits or payments, the Act entitles 
those applicants, claimants, or beneficiaries to request a hearing to 
appeal the decision. To request a hearing, individuals complete Form 
HA-501; the associated Modernized Claims System (MCS) or Supplemental 
Security Income (SSI) Claims System interview; or the internet 
application (i501). SSA uses the information to determine if the 
individual: (1) filed the request within the prescribed time; (2) is 
the proper party; and (3) took the steps necessary to obtain the right 
to a hearing. SSA also uses the information to determine: (1) the 
individual's reason(s) for disagreeing with SSA's prior determinations 
in the case; (2) if the individual has additional evidence to submit; 
(3) if the individual wants an oral hearing or a decision on the 
record; and (4) whether the individual has (or wants to appoint) a 
representative. The respondents are Social Security or SSI disability 
applicants and recipients who want to appeal SSA's denial of their 
request for new or continued benefits for disability and non-medical 
hearing requests; and Medicare Part B recipients who must pay the 
Medicare Part B Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                                              Average
                                                                          Average burden     Estimated      theoretical    Average wait    Total annual
         Modality of completion              Number of     Frequency of    per response    total annual     hourly cost      time in a      opportunity
                                            respondents      response        (minutes)    burden (hours)      amount       field office   cost (dollars)
                                                                                                            (dollars) *    (minutes) **         ***
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HA-501; MCS; SSI Claims System..........         162,904               1              10          27,151         * 31.48           ** 24   *** 2,906,013
i501 (Internet iAppeals)................         281,819               1              15          70,455         * 31.48            ** 0   *** 2,217,923
                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals..............................         444,723  ..............  ..............          97,606  ..............  ..............   *** 5,123,936
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* 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).
** We based this figure on 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.

    2. Surveys in Accordance with E.O. 12862 for the Social Security 
Administration--0960-0526. Under the auspices of Executive Order 12862, 
Setting Customer Service Standards, SSA conducts multiple customer 
satisfaction surveys each year. These voluntary customer satisfaction 
assessments include paper, internet, and telephone surveys; mailed 
questionnaires; and customer comment cards. The purpose of these 
questionnaires is to assess customer satisfaction with the timeliness, 
appropriateness, access, and overall quality of existing SSA services 
and proposed modifications or new versions of services. The respondents 
are recipients of SSA services (including most members of the public), 
professionals, and individuals who work on behalf of SSA beneficiaries.
    Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                     Number of                                    Burden (burden
                                                    respondents                                       for all
                                                    (burden for    Frequency of      Range of       activities
                                                  all activities     response     response times    within that
                                                    within that                      (minutes)    year; reported
                                                       year)                                         in hours)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year 1..........................................       1,290,304               1            3-90         615,549
Year 2..........................................       1,290.304               1            3-90         615,549
Year 3..........................................       1,290.304               1            3-90         615,549
                                                 ---------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................       3,870,912  ..............  ..............       1,846,647
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    3. Request for Reconsideration--20 CFR 404.907-404.921, 416.1407-
416.1421, 408.1009, and 418.1325--0960-0622. The Social Security Act 
states those individuals who are dissatisfied with the results of an 
initial determination regarding their Title II disability; Tile XVI 
disability (Supplemental Security Income); Title VIII (Special Veterans 
benefits); or Title XVIII (Medicare benefits), they can request a 
reconsideration hearing. Individuals use Form SSA-561-U2; the 
associated MCS or SSI Claims System interview; or the internet 
application (i561) to initiate a request for reconsideration of a 
denied claim. SSA uses the information to document the request and to 
determine an individual's eligibility or entitlement to Social Security 
benefits (Title II); SSI payments (Title XVI); Special Veterans 
Benefits (Title VIII); Medicare (Title XVIII); and for initial 
determinations regarding

[[Page 105172]]

Medicare Part B income-related premium subsidy reductions. The 
respondents are applicants, claimants, beneficiaries, or recipients 
filing for reconsideration of an initial determination.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                                              Average
                                                                          Average burden     Estimated      theoretical    Average wait    Total annual
         Modality of completion              Number of     Frequency of    per response    total annual     hourly cost    time in field    opportunity
                                            respondents      response        (minutes)    burden (hours)     amount *        office **       cost ***
                                                                                                             (dollars)       (minutes)       (dollars)
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SSA-561, MCS, SSI Claims System.........         339,217               1               8          45,229         * 31.48           ** 24   *** 5,695,236
i561 (Internet iAppeals)................         447,139               1              15         111,785         * 31.48            ** 0   *** 3,518,992
                                         ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals..............................         786,356  ..............  ..............         157,014  ..............  ..............   *** 9,214,228
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* 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).
** We based this figure on 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.

    4. Supportive Housing & Individual Placement and Support (SHIPS) 
Study--0960-0840.
    Background: Homelessness and unemployment are linked issues, with 
rising housing costs often leaving people unable to afford homes when 
combined with unemployment. The instability of housing makes finding 
employment even more challenging, creating a difficult cycle to break. 
While studies have shown that supportive housing programs improve 
housing stability, there is no significant evidence that such programs 
reliably increase employment among residents. (For the purposes of this 
study, supportive housing is defined as housing services coupled with 
additional services that include case management support. These include 
place-based permanent supportive housing, scattered site permanent 
supportive housing, and rapid rehousing. Conversely, Individual 
Placement and Support (IPS), a proven method for supporting employment, 
has not demonstrated effectiveness in stabilizing housing. SSA is 
requesting clearance to collect data for the Supportive Housing and 
Individual Placement and Support (SHIPS) study, under the 
Interventional Cooperative Agreement Program (ICAP), to determine 
whether participation in Individual Placement and Support (IPS) 
improves the employment, income, health, and self-sufficiency of people 
who are recently homeless and living in supportive housing. ICAP allows 
SSA to partner with various non-federal groups and organizations to 
advance interventional research connected to the Supplemental Security 
Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) programs. 
SSA awarded Westat a cooperative agreement to conduct SHIPS. In 
addition to SSA, Westat is partnering with three subrecipients for this 
project: (1) People Assisting the Homeless (PATH); (2) the University 
of Southern California (U.S.C.); and (3) the Research Foundation for 
Mental Hygiene (RFMH) to implement the SHIPS study.
    ICAP SHIPS Study Project Description: The SHIPS study is a 
randomized controlled trial (RCT) designed to determine whether 
participation in Individual Placement and Support (IPS) improves the 
employment, income, health, and self-sufficiency of people who are 
recently homeless and living in supportive housing. The SHIPS study 
will mark the first study testing the effectiveness of implementing IPS 
in a supportive housing program. SSA hypothesizes that combining the 
two most successful evidence-based practices that separately address 
homelessness and supported employment will yield a single intervention 
that effectively addresses both. The intent of the SHIPS study is to 
measure the effectiveness of evidence-based IPS compared to the 
services provided by local WorkSource Centers broadly available to 
jobseekers in the Los Angeles area, The housing case managers will 
refer PATH clients interested in finding employment and will randomly 
assign participants to one of two groups:
     IPS: The Individual Placement and Support (IPS) service 
team will offers a range of structured services customized to 
participants' personal needs, preferences, and challenges related to 
disabilities and/or mental health conditions. IPS was specifically 
designed as a supported employment model for individuals with serious 
mental illness and includes standardized training and fidelity 
requirements. Components of IPS that differ from those offered by 
WorkSource Services include integrated treatment that incorporates 
vocational and mental health services; benefits planning; and focus on 
rapid job search without extensive training.
     WorkSource Centers: Under PATH's current housing model, 
housing case managers refer PATH clients who express interest in 
finding employment to local American Job Centers, known as WorkSource 
Centers in Los Angeles. The WorkSource Centers are operated by the City 
of Los Angeles Economic and Workforce Development Department, and 
follow an employment services model that varies by WorkSource Center, 
is not evidence-based or subject to fidelity monitoring and is not 
necessarily responsive to the individual needs of jobseekers with 
disabilities.
    The primary goals of the SHIPS study are:
     To measure the effects of IPS participation on employment, 
income, health, and long-term self-sufficiency measured as a 
combination of housing stability, income, and receipt of DI and SSI 
benefits.
     To describe the study population to understand both the 
generalizability of the study's findings and the potential reasons for 
the observed effects.
     To explore the IPS implementation process to understand 
barriers and facilitators to high-fidelity IPS implementation in the 
supportive housing context.
    Grantee researchers and SSA will use the information collected 
during this study to: (1) assess the short-term and long-term 
effectiveness of the proposed intervention to improve employment, 
income, and self-sufficiency; (2) understand the implementation 
process; (3) provide detailed subgroup-specific data related to the 
effect of IPS.
    The respondents are residents in supportive housing units operated 
by

[[Page 105173]]

PATH who are unemployed and looking for employment.
    Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information 
collection.

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                                                                                                                                                                   Average wait
                                                                                                                                                      Average     time in office   Total annual
                                                                     Number of     Frequency of      Number of    Average burden     Estimated      theoretical       or for        opportunity
                     Modality of completion                        participants      response        responses     per response    total annual     hourly cost     teleservice      cost ***
                                                                                                                     (minutes)    burden (hours)     amount *       centers **       (dollars)
                                                                                                                                                     (dollars)       (minutes)
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Study participants baseline interview...........................             200               1             200              60             200         * 13.30           ** 24       *** 3,724
Study participants quarterly interviews.........................             200               7           1,400              10             233         * 13.30           ** 21       *** 4,030
Study participants final interviews.............................             200               1             200              60             200         * 13.30           ** 21       *** 3,591
PATH Interviews: Staff..........................................               5               1               5              60               5         * 32.05           ** 24         *** 224
SHIPS Interviews: participants..................................               5               1               5              60               5         * 13.30           ** 24          *** 93
                                                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Totals......................................................             610  ..............  ..............             250             643  ..............  ..............      *** 11,662
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* We based this figure on the average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2024 data (https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2024FactSheet.pdf), and survey researchers (https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes193022.htm)
** We based this figure on averaging both the average FY 2024 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.

    Dated: December 19, 2024.
Naomi Sipple,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2024-30764 Filed 12-23-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P
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