Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request

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September 3, 2025

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 90 Issue 168 (Wednesday, September 3, 2025)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 168 (Wednesday, September 3, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42667-42671]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2025-16848]

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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION

[Docket No: SSA-2025-0322]

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 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.
(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#d19e83ff83b4a1bea3a5a2ff92bdb4b0a3b0bfb2b491a2a2b0ffb6bea7"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="014e532f5364716e7375722f426d646073606f6264417272602f666e77">[email&#160;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> 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-2025-0322] in
your submitted response.
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
November 3, 2025. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection
instrument by writing to the above email address.
1. Ticket to Work Program Evaluation--0960-NEW. In compliance with
the Ticket to Work Incentives Improvement Act if 1999 (Pub. L. 106-
170), Section 101(d)(4)(A), SSA is contracting with Mathematica to
conduct an independent evaluation to assess (1) the effects of the
program on work outcomes and self-sufficiency, and (2) their cost
effectiveness.

Background

The Ticket Act established supports designed to increase the
availability of and access to employment services for adults with
disabilities receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) or
Supplemental Security Income (SSI), hereafter referred to as
Ticketholders.\1\ Among the supports created by the Ticket Act were
three programs:
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\1\ Throughout this document, ``Ticketholders'' broadly refers
to working-age disabled SSI and SSDI beneficiaries who are eligible
for services created by the Ticket Act.
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<bullet> Ticket To Work (TTW). The TTW program established an
alternative system for providing employment services to disabled SSI
recipients and SSDI beneficiaries. Under TTW, Ticketholders can obtain
vocational rehabilitation, employment services, or other support
services from SSA-approved Employment Networks (ENs) or state
vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies. SSA pays ENs or VR agencies if
the Ticketholders they serve work and earn above specified amounts.
<bullet> Work Incentives Planning and Assistance (WIPA). SSA awards
cooperative agreements to community-based organizations to provide
expertise and counseling that helps disabled SSI recipients and SSDI
beneficiaries understand how their earnings affect their disability
benefits, with a goal of helping beneficiaries successfully transition
to work.
<bullet> Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social
Security (PABSS). SSA awards grants to Protection & Advocacy (P&A)
agencies in states, territories, and tribal communities to provide
legal-based advocacy services for SSI and SSDI beneficiaries who want
to work. PABSS grantees offer services to help remove barriers to
employment, including helping beneficiaries secure TTW and other
employment-related services; helping beneficiaries understand issues
with their disability benefits; and helping to protect beneficiaries'
legal rights to employment, transportation, and housing.

Purpose of the Evaluation

To comply with Public Law 106-170, the evaluation will document the
extent to which Ticket Act programs are effective, meaning that they
achieve their legislative intent: to allow individuals with
disabilities to seek the services necessary to obtain and retain
employment and reduce their dependency on cash benefit programs. The
evaluation findings on these components will support SSA's
understanding of:
(1) Whether the programs achieve their legislative intent;
(2) The factors contributing to this achievement or lack thereof,
and
(3) Opportunities for improvement of the programs' efficiency and
effectiveness.
The evaluation will also document the cost effectiveness of Ticket
Act programs as currently structured, identifying opportunities to
deliver the same outcomes at lower costs or improve outcomes with
additional investments.
As SSA implemented many changes to the Ticket Act programs since
our last comprehensive evaluation in 2013, we are also conducting this
evaluation to assess these revisions to the programs, including:
<bullet> The increased prevalence of remote service delivery, which
makes services

[[Page 42668]]

more broadly available to Ticketholders, but may reduce the
effectiveness of services offered.
<bullet> Changes to the number of ENs and VR agencies participating
in the program, as well as changes to the types of services they offer.
These changes may affect the overall effectiveness of the program.
<bullet> Revisions that changed the programs' operations, for
instance the implementation of electronic submissions, which may also
affect the overall effectiveness of the program.
<bullet> Investment in a marketing program to support EN outreach,
which may have affected the overall use of the TTW program.
We expect this comprehensive evaluation will provide updated
information regarding: (1) the ability of the Ticket Programs to
achieve their legislative intent; and (2) the evidence base necessary
to determine the need for potential programmatic changes or other
proposals to maximize program effectiveness.

The Evaluation Methods

SSA contracted with Mathematica to conduct the evaluation; however,
SSA will oversee all data collection activities. The evaluation will
utilize the following data collection efforts:
<bullet> Surveys of the Ticket Act service providers (``provider
surveys''): Mathematica will field three concurrent surveys, each
focusing on a specific type of Ticket Act service provider. The surveys
will ask about provider decisions to participate in the program,
provider decisions about service provision, and about challenges that
ENs and VR agencies face in effectively serving beneficiaries.
Mathematica will invite one person from each EN, VR agency, WIPA
project, and P&A agency with a PABSS grant (572 organizations) to
respond as a representative on behalf of the organization.\2\ Each
organization's representative will complete an interview via a self-
administered online survey.
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\2\ Numbers of provider organizations as of 2024. To the extent
that the universe of service providers changes between the time of
drafting of this document and the survey fielding period, we will
field the survey to the population of services providers as of a
date as close to the beginning of survey fielding as practicable.
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<bullet> Qualitative interviews with Ticketholders (``qualitative
data collection''): Mathematica will conduct interviews with
Ticketholders to provide a platform for open-ended, guided discussions
in which interviewees can share their experiences with the Ticket Act
programs, including their ability to find a provider at all; find a
provider who could meet their employment service needs; and experiences
with services affecting their employment outcomes. We expect these
interview findings will help assess the extent to which Ticket Act
programs are working effectively and efficiently and what opportunities
may be available to improve the achievement of program outcomes.
Mathematica will use existing SSA records to select a random sample of
Ticketholders and invite them to participate in interviews. These
interviews will be voluntary, and Mathematica will administer them over
a four-month period.
Mathematica will conduct these surveys and interviews using a mix
of online and telephone processes as well as computer-based management
tools for streamlining recruitment and scheduling, ensuring clear
documentation for each interview or survey and for recording the data.
The Respondents are service providers for the Ticket to Work
program, specifically one staff member from each EN, state VR, WIPA
project and P&A agency with a PABSS grant (``Providers''), as well as
Ticketholders.
Type of Request: Request for a new information collection.

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Total
Average burden Total annual Average estimated
Modality of completion Number of Frequency of per response burden (hours) theoretical annual
respondents response (minutes) \*\ hourly cost ** opportunity
cost ***
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Provider surveys
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TTW survey.............................................. 353 1 38 * 224 ** $40.10 *** $8,982
WIPA survey............................................. 59 1 38 * 37 ** 40.10 *** 1,483
PABSS survey............................................ 46 1 28 * 21 ** 40.10 *** 842
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Subtotal--surveys................................... 458 .............. .............. * 282 .............. *** 11,307
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Qualitative interviews
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Ticketholder: TTW users................................. 70 1 51 * 60 ** 16.22 *** 973
Ticketholder: TTW non-users............................. 10 1 41 * 7 ** 16.22 *** 114
Ticketholder: WIPA users................................ 20 1 51 * 17 ** 16.22 *** 276
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Subtotal--qualitative interviews.................... 100 .............. .............. 84 .............. *** 1,363
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Totals
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Surveys................................................. 458 .............. .............. * 282 .............. *** 11,307
Qualitative interviews.................................. 100 .............. .............. * 84 .............. *** 1,363
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Total............................................... 558 .............. .............. * 366 .............. *** 12,670
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* To show annual burden, we multiplied the number of respondents by the number of responses annually by the average respondent burden per response. We
allocated the number of planned responses by year based on the timing of the provider survey and the planned distribution of the qualitative
interviews over the two calendar years.
** Opportunity cost estimates for Ticket Act providers assume a wage rate of $40.10 per hour, the average national wage reported by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics for the employment category of ``Social and Community Service Managers'' (accessed at <a href="https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes119151.htm">https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes119151.htm</a> on
October 22, 2024). Opportunity cost estimates for SSA Ticketholders assume a rate of $16.22 per hour, corresponding to the average wage for employed
SSDI and SSI beneficiaries in 2019 ($12.92, <a href="https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/nbs/2019/job-characteristics.html">https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/nbs/2019/job-characteristics.html</a>) adjusted for inflation using
the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistic's Inflation Calculator (<a href="https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm">https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm</a>).
*** This figure does not represent actual costs that SSA will impose on survey respondents or participants in the qualitative interviews. They are
theoretical opportunity costs for the time that respondents will spend participating in data collection activities. There is no charge to respondents
for participating in data collection activities. We calculated these costs by multiplying the total annual burden in hours by the average theoretical
hourly rate. Because the table presents rounded total annual burden hours, this rounding may affect the previsions needed to replicate these
estimates. There is no actual charge to respondents to complete the tasks.

[[Page 42669]]

2. Application for a Social Security Number (SSN) Card, the Social
Security Number Application Process (SSNAP), and Online SSN Application
Process (oSSNAP)--20 CFR 422.103-422.110--0960-0066. SSA collects
information on the SS-5 (used in the United States) and SS-5-FS (used
outside the United States) to issue original or replacement Social
Security cards. SSA also enters the application data into the SSNAP
application when issuing a card via telephone or in person. In
addition, hospitals collect the same information on SSA's behalf for
newborn children through the Enumeration at Birth (EAB) process. In
this process, parents of newborns provide hospital birth registration
clerks with information required to register these newborns. Hospitals
send this information to State Bureaus of Vital Statistics (BVS), and
they send the information to SSA's National Computer Center. SSA then
uploads the data to the SSA mainframe along with all other enumeration
data, and we assign the newborn a Social Security number (SSN) and
issue a Social Security card. The vast majority of applications for
original SSN cards utilize EAB.
Finally, oSSNAP collects information similar to that which we
collect on the paper SS-5 for no change situations, with the exception
of name change, new or replacement SSN cards for U.S. Citizens (adult
and minor children), and replacement cards only for non-U.S. citizens.
For certain applicants for SSN replacement cards, the modality allows
respondents to complete the application using an internet application
and submit the required evidence online rather than completing a paper
Form SS-5 [formerly the internet SSN Replacement Card (iSSNRC)
application]. oSSNAP also allows applicants for new or replacement SSN
cards to start the application process on-line, receive a list of
evidentiary documents, and then submit the application data to SSA for
further processing by SSA employees. Applicants using oSSNAP in this
way then visit a local SSA office to complete the application process.
SSA collects race and ethnicity information as part of the SSN card
application process. Response to the race and ethnicity questions is
voluntary. The respondents for this information collection are
applicants for original and replacement Social Security cards, or
individuals who wish to change information in their SSN records, who
use any of the modalities described above.

Note: SSA is combining the iSSNRC and oSSNAP screens to
streamline these processes for the respondents. Through combining
the screens under one application (oSSNAP), respondents can more
easily find the electronic process which works best for them to
submit their request for a replacement SSN card.

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

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Average
Average Estimated Average wait time
Number of Frequency burden per total theoretical in field Total annual
Application scenario respondents of response response annual hourly cost office opportunity cost
(minutes) burden amount (minutes) (dollars) ***
(hours) (dollars) * **
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EAB Modality
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Hospital staff who relay the State birth certificate 3,599,746 1 10 599,958 * $26.91 ........... *** $16,144,870
information to the BVS and SSA through the EAB process.
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oSSNAP Modality
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Adult U.S. Citizens requesting a replacement card with 2,218,960 1 10 369,827 * 32.66 ........... *** 12,078,550
no changes using iSSNRC Webservices through oSSNAP.....
Adult U.S. Citizens requesting a replacement card with a 37,820 1 10 6,303 * 32.66 ........... *** 205,856
name change using iSSNRC Webservices through oSSNAP....
Adult U.S. Citizens providing information to receive a 2,334,386 1 10 389,064 * 32.66 ** 23 *** 41,932,566
replacement card through the oSSNAP \+\................
Adult U.S. Citizens providing information to receive an 90,952 1 10 15,159 * 32.66 ** 23 *** 1,633,784
original card through the oSSNAP \+\...................
Adult Non-U.S. Citizens providing information to receive 786,589 1 10 131,098 * 32.66 ** 23 *** 14,129,500
an original card through the oSSNAP \+\................
Adult Non-U.S. Citizens providing information to receive 214,286 1 10 35,714 * 32.66 ** 23 *** 3,858,028
a replacement card through the oSSNAP \+\..............
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SSNAP/SS-5 Modality
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Respondents who do not have to provide parents' SSNs.... 6,764,440 1 9 1,014,666 * 32.66 ** 23 *** 117,827,515
Respondents whom we ask to provide parents' SSNs (when 221,751 1 9 33,263 * 32.66 ** 23 *** 3,862,633
applying for original SSN cards for children under age
12)....................................................
Applicants age 12 or older who need to answer additional 796,688 1 10 132,781 * 32.66 ** 23 *** 14,310,893
questions so SSA can determine whether we previously
assigned an SSN........................................
Applicants asking for a replacement SSN card beyond the 11,885 1 60 11,885 * 32.66 ** 23 *** 536,963
allowable limits (i.e., who must provide additional
documentation to accompany the application)............
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Enumeration Quality Review
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Authorization to SSA to obtain personal information \+\ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
cover letter...........................................
Authorization to SSA to obtain personal information \+\ 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
follow-up cover letter.................................
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Grand Total
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Totals.............................................. 17,077,505 ........... ........... 2,739,720 ........... ........... *** 226,521,160
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\+\ We are not currently sending out these notices; however, we included 1 hour burden placeholder for these notices, in the event we need to send them
out in the near future.

[[Page 42670]]

* We based this figure on average Medical Records Specialist, and average U.S. worker's hourly wages as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
(Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics).
** We based this figure on the average FY 2025 wait times for field offices, based on SSA's current management information enumeration 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. Claimant's Work Background--20 CFR 404.1512(a); 404.1520(a)(4);
404.1565(b); 416.912(a); 416.920(a)(4); 416.965(b)--0960-0300. Sections
205(a) and 1631(e) of the Act provide the Commissioner of Social
Security with the authority to establish procedures for determining if
a claimant is entitled to disability benefits. The administrative law
judge (ALJ) may ask individuals to provide background information on
Form HA-4633 about work they performed in the past 15 years. When a
claimant requests a hearing before an ALJ to establish an entitlement
to disability benefits, the ALJ may request that the claimant provide a
work history to assist the ALJ in fully inquiring into issues related
to the disability. The ALJ uses the information collected from the
claimants on Form HA-4633 to: (1) identify the claimant's relevant work
history; (2) decide if SSA requires expert vocational testimony and, if
so, have a vocational expert available to testify during the hearing;
and (3) provide a reference for the ALJ to discuss the claimant's work
history. The ALJ makes the completed Form HA-4633 part of the
documentary evidence of record. The respondents are claimants for
disability benefits under Title II or Title XVI who requested a hearing
before an ALJ after SSA denied their application for disability
payments.

Note: We are revising the burden for this information
collection and updating the Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act
Statements to comply with current legal requirements.

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

4. Disability Update Report--20 CFR 404.1589-404.1595 and 416.988-
416.996--0960-0511. As part of our statutory requirements, SSA
periodically uses Form SSA-455, the Disability Update Report, to
evaluate current Title II disability beneficiaries' and Title XVI
disability payment recipients' continued eligibility for Social
Security disability payments. Specifically, SSA uses the form to
determine if: (1) there is enough evidence to warrant referring the
respondent for a full medical Continuing Disability Review (CDR); (2)
the respondent's impairments are still present and indicative of no
medical improvement, precluding the need for a CDR; or (3) the
respondent has unresolved work-related issues. SSA mails Form SSA-455
to specific disability recipients, whom we select as possibly
qualifying for the CDR process. SSA pre-fills the form with data
specific to the disability recipient, except for the sections we ask
the recipients to complete. When SSA receives the completed form, we
scan it into SSA's system. This allows us to gather the information
electronically, and enables SSA to process the returned forms through
automated decision logic to decide the proper course of action to take.
The respondents are recipients of Title II and Title XVI Social
Security disability payments.

Note: SSA is updating the Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction
Act Statements on these forms to comply with current legal
requirements.

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

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Average
Average Estimated Average wait time
Number of Frequency burden per total theoretical in field Total annual
Modality of completion respondents of response response annual hourly cost office opportunity cost
(minutes) burden amount (minutes) (dollars) ***
(hours) (dollars) * **
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SSA-455 (mail-in)....................................... 1,049,176 1 15 262,294 * $13.30 ........... *** $3,488,510
SSA-455 (electronic online process)..................... 89,104 1 15 22,276 * 13.30 ........... *** 296,271
Telephone Interview Process............................. 100 1 15 25 * 13.30 ** 180 *** 4,325
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Totals.............................................. 1,138,380 ........... ........... 284,595 ........... ........... *** 3,789,106
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* We based this figure on average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2024 data (<a href="https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2024FactSheet.pdf">https://www.ssa.gov/legislation/2024FactSheet.pdf</a>).
** We based this figure on the average FY 2025 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.

[[Page 42671]]

Dated: August 28, 2025.
Mark Steffensen,
General Counsel, Deputy Commissioner for Law and Policy, Social
Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2025-16848 Filed 9-2-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P

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