Notice2022-23444
Agency Information Collection Activities: Comment Request
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
October 27, 2022
Issuing agencies
Social Security Administration
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 207 (Thursday, October 27, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 207 (Thursday, October 27, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 65112-65114]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-23444]
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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
[Docket No: SSA-2022-0052]
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: <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>. Submit your
comments online referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-2022-0052].
(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: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#8dc2dfa3dfe8fde2fff9fea3cee1e8ecffece3eee8cdfefeeca3eae2fb"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="1a554834487f6a75686e693459767f7b687b74797f5a69697b347d756c">[email protected]</span></a>
Or you may submit your comments online through <a href="https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain">https://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain</a>, referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-
2022-0052].
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 28, 2022. Individuals can obtain copies of
these OMB clearance packages by writing to
<a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#470815691522372835333469042b222635262924220734342669202831"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0b445925596e7b64797f782548676e6a796a65686e4b78786a256c647d">[email protected]</span></a>.
1. Waiver of Your Right to Personal Appearance before a Judge--20
CFR 20 CFR 404.948(b)(1)(i), 404.956, 416.1448(b)(1)(i), and 416.1456--
0960-0284. Applicants for Social Security, Old Age, Survivors, and
Disability Insurance (OASDI) benefits and Supplemental Security Income
(SSI) payments have the statutory right to appear in person (or through
a representative) and present evidence about their claims at a hearing
before a judge. Per SSA regulations, if a claimant is dissatisfied with
a determination or decision listed in 20 CFR 404.930 or 416.1430, the
claimant may request a hearing before a judge, and has a right to
appear at a hearing before a judge. At a hearing, claimants have the
right to present evidence; have witnesses testify on their behalf; and
present their case to the judge. A hearing may provide the judge with
additional information to make a more informed decision. However, in
some cases, claimants may choose to waive their right to appear before
a judge for various reasons, including if they feel the evidence of
record stands on its own, or if they are unable to attend a hearing due
to extenuating circumstances. When a claimant chooses to waive the
right to appear at a hearing and allows the judge to decide the case
based on the written evidence of record alone, we ask the claimant to
submit this request to us in writing so we can document it in their
record. While SSA will accept a written request, we also allow
claimants to use Form HA-4608 to serve as a written waiver for the
claimant's right to a personal appearance before a judge. The claimant
may complete the paper version of the HA-4608 and submit it back to SSA
using the pre-paid envelope SSA sends with it, or the claimant may
choose to complete the HA-4608 through the submittable PDF on SSA's
website. The judge uses the information we collect on Form HA-4608 to
continue processing the case and makes the completed form a part of the
documentary evidence of record by placing it in the official record of
the proceedings as an exhibit. Respondents are applicants or claimants
for OASDI and SSI, or their representatives, who request to waive their
right to appear before a judge.
Type of Request: Revision of an approved-OMB information
collection.
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Average
Average burden Estimated total theoretical Total annual
Modality of completion Number of Frequency of per response annual burden hourly cost opportunity
respondents response (minutes) (hours) amount cost (dollars)
(dollars) * **
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HA-4608........................................... 12,000 1 5 1,000 $11.70 * $11,700 **
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* We based this figure on the average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2022 data (<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2022factsheet.pdf">https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2022factsheet.pdf</a>).
** 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. Plan to Achieve Self-Support (PASS)--20 CFR 416.110(e),
416.1180-416.1182, 416.1225-416.1227--0960-0559. The SSI program
encourages recipients to return to work. One of the program objectives
is to provide
[[Page 65113]]
incentives and opportunities that help recipients do so. The Plan to
Achieve Self-Support (PASS) provision allows individuals to develop a
plan to enter (or re-enter) the workforce and become self-supporting.
In turn, SSA does not count the income or resources (such as business
equipment, education, or specialized training) recipients use to fund a
PASS when determining an individual's SSI eligibility or payment
amount. An SSI recipient who wants to take advantage of the PASS
provision completes Form SSA-545. SSA uses the information from the
SSA-545 to evaluate the recipient's PASS, and to determine eligibility
under the provisions of the SSI program. The respondents are SSI
recipients who want to develop a return-to-work plan.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
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Average
Average burden Estimated total theoretical Average wait Total annual
Modality of completion Number of Frequency of per response annual burden hourly cost time in field opportunity
respondents response (minutes) (hours) amount office cost (dollars)
(dollars)* (minutes) ** ***
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SSA-545.......................... 7,000 1 120 14,000 $11.70* 24** $196,560 ***
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* We based this figure on the average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2022 data (<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2022factsheet.pdf">https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2022factsheet.pdf</a>).
** We based this figure on the average the FY 2022 wait time 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. Letter to Custodian of Birth Records--20 CFR 404.704, and
422.103-422.110--0960-0693. When individuals need help in obtaining
evidence of their age in connection with Social Security number (SSN)
card applications and claims for benefits, SSA prepares the SSA-L706,
Letter to Custodian of Birth Records. SSA uses Form SSA-L706 to verify
the proof of age when an SSN applicant submits a birth record to the
Social Security Number Application Process (SSNAP) system that SSA
deems questionable. In most of the cases, we verify birth records
(i.e., birth certificates) with the custodian of the record or issuing
entity before processing the SSN card application via an online query
such as the Electronic Verification of Vital Events (EVVE) or SSA-
approved online access to State vital records. However, when the
applicant submits alternative evidence to request an original SSN card
or to correct a date of birth (DOB) that SSA cannot verify via an
online query (i.e., the custodian/issuing entity of the birth record is
a hospital or health care provider), we use the SSA-L706 to verify
proof of age for enumeration purposes. The SSNAP system pre-fills a PDF
version of the SSA-L706 using information from the SSN application to
ensure accuracy and save time. SSA uses the letter to verify with the
custodian or issuing entity, when necessary, the authenticity of the
record the SSN applicant or claimant submitted. SSA mails the SSA-L706
to the respondents to complete and mail or fax back the completed form
back to us. The respondents are SSN applicants who sign the request;
State and local bureaus or agencies of vital statistics, and religious
entities who submit the information regarding evidence of age for the
SSN applicant.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
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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) **
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SSA-L706--(SSNAP)....................................... 573 1 10 96 * $24.57 ** $2,359
SSA-L706--(Respondents Signature Only).................. 573 1 1 10 * 28.01 ** 280
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Totals.............................................. 1,146 .............. .............. 106 .............. ** 2,639
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* We based these figures on the average U.S. worker's hourly wages, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data (<a href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm">https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm</a>), and by averaging both the average U.S. worker's hourly wage with the average Information and Record Clerks hourly wage, as reported by
Bureau of Labor Statistics data (<a href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes434199.htm">https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes434199.htm</a>).
** 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 Accommodation in Communication Method--0960-0777.
SSA allows disabled or impaired Social Security applicants,
beneficiaries, recipients, and representative payees to choose one of
seven alternative methods of communication they want SSA to use when we
send them benefit notices and other related communications. The seven
alternative methods we offer are: (1) standard print notice by first-
class mail; (2) standard print mail with a follow-up telephone call;
(3) certified mail; (4) Braille; (5) Microsoft Word file on data CD;
(6) large print (18-point font); or (7) audio CD. Respondents who want
to receive notices from SSA through a communication method other than
the seven methods listed above must explain their request to us. Those
respondents use our iAccomodate Intranet or mySNO internet screens, or
the paper Form SSA-9000-F6 to: (1) describe the type of accommodation
they want from SSA; (2) disclose their condition necessitating the need
for a different type of accommodation; and (3) explain why none of the
seven methods described above are sufficient for their needs. SSA uses
our internet and Intranet screens or Form SSA-9000-F6 to determine,
based on applicable law and regulation, whether to grant the
respondents' requests for an accommodation based on their impairment or
disability. SSA collects this information electronically through either
an in-person telephone interview during which the SSA employee keys in
the information on our iAccommodate Intranet screens, or through the
mySNO internet screens which respondents may complete for themselves
using the application available through their mySSA accounts. The
respondents are disabled or impaired Social Security or SSI applicants,
beneficiaries, recipients, and representative payees who ask SSA
[[Page 65114]]
to send notices and other communications in an alternative method
besides the seven modalities we currently offer.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
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Average Average
Average burden Estimated theoretical teleservice Total annual
Modality of completion Number of Frequency of per response total annual hourly cost center wait opportunity
respondents response (minutes) burden (hours) amount time cost (dollars)
(dollars)* (minutes)** ***
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SSA-9000/iAccommodate................... 5,000 1 20 1,667 * $11.70 ** 19 *** $38,025
mySNO................................... 8,414 1 20 2,805 * 11.70 .............. *** 32,819
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Totals.............................. 13,414 .............. .............. 4,472 .............. .............. ***70,844
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* We based this figure on the average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2022 data (<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2022factsheet.pdf">https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2022factsheet.pdf</a>).
** 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.
Dated: October 24, 2022.
Naomi Sipple,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2022-23444 Filed 10-26-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P
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This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.