[Federal Register: November 2, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 211)]
[Notices]
[Page 66480-66482]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr02no05-146]
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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and
Comment Request
The Social Security Administration (SSA) publishes a list of
information collection packages that will require clearance by the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in compliance with Pub. L. 104-
13, the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, effective October 1, 1995. The
information collection packages that may be included in this notice are
for new information collections, revisions to OMB-approved information
collections, and extensions (no change) 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 on ways to minimize
burden on respondents, including the use of automated collection
techniques or other forms of information technology. Written comments
and recommendations regarding the information collection(s) should be
submitted to the OMB Desk Officer and the SSA Reports Clearance
Officer. The information can be mailed
[[Page 66481]]
and/or faxed to the individuals at the addresses and fax numbers listed
below:
(OMB) Office of Management and Budget, Fax: 202-395-6974.
(SSA) Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Reports
Clearance Officer, 1333 Annex Building, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore,
MD 21235; Fax: 410-965-6400.
I. The information collections listed below are pending at SSA and
will be submitted to OMB within 60 days from the date of this notice.
Therefore, your comments should be submitted to SSA within 60 days from
the date of this publication. You can obtain copies of the collection
instruments by calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer at 410-965-
0454 or by writing to the address listed above.
1. Employee Verification Service (EVS)--0960-0669
Background
Under Internal Revenue Service regulations, employers are required
to provide wage and tax data to SSA using form W-2, Wage and Tax
Statement or its electronic equivalent. As part of this process, the
employer must furnish the employee's name and Social Security Number
(SSN). This information must match SSA's records in order for the
employee's wage and tax data to be properly posted to the Earnings
Record. Information that is incorrectly provided to the Agency must be
corrected by the employer using an amended reporting form, which is a
labor-intensive and time-consuming process for both SSA and the
employer. Therefore, to help ensure that employers provide accurate
name and SSN information on their wage reports, SSA is offering the EVS
service whereby employers can verify, via magnetic tape, cartridge,
diskette, paper, and telephone, if the reported name and SSN of their
employee matches SSA's records.
EVS Collection
SSA will use the information collected through the EVS to verify
that the employee name and SSN information, provided by employers,
matches SSA records. SSA will respond to the employer informing them
only of matches and mismatches of submitted information. Respondents
are employers who provide wage and tax data to SSA who elect to use EVS
to verify their employees' names and SSNs.
Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-Approved Information
Collection.
Number of Respondents: 50,000.
Frequency of Response: 12.
Average Burden Per Response: 10 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 100,000 hours.
2. Partnership Questionnaire--20 CFR 404.1080-.1082--0960-0025
Form SSA-7104 is used to establish several aspects of eligibility
for Social Security benefits, including the accuracy of reported
partnership earnings, the veracity of a retirement, and lag earnings
where they are needed for insured status. The respondents are
applicants for Social Security Old Age, Survivors, and Disability
Insurance Benefits.
Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information
collection.
Number of Respondents: 12,350.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden Per Response: 30 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 6,175 hours.
3. Letter to Employer Requesting Information About Wages Earned by a
Beneficiary--20 CFR 404.703 and 404.801--0960-0034
Form SSA-L725 is used by SSA to establish the exact wages earned by
a Social Security beneficiary in situations where SSA has incomplete or
questionable wage data. In turn, this information is used to determine
if the beneficiary's current SSA payments are accurate. The respondents
are employers of wage earners whose earnings records are incomplete or
have been questioned.
Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information
collection.
Number of Respondents: 150,000.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden Per Response: 40 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 100,000 hours.
II. The information collections listed below have been submitted to
OMB for clearance. Your comments on the information collections would
be most useful if received by OMB and SSA within 30 days from the date
of this publication. You can obtain a copy of the OMB clearance package
by calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer at 410-965-0454, or by
writing to the address listed above.
1. Application To Collect a Fee for Payee Services--0960-NEW
Information requested on form SSA-445 will be provided by the fee
for payee services applicant. SSA will be the only user of this
information. By using form SSA-445, SSA will be able to determine
whether the applicant meets the requirements to become a fee for
service organizational payee, and if the applicant has provided all the
information and documentation required. Based on the information
provided on form SSA-445, SSA will issue a determination authorizing or
denying permission to collect fees for payee services.
Type of Request: New information collection.
Number of Respondents: 100.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden Per Response: 3 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 5 hours.
2. Annual Registration Statement Identifying Separated Participants
With Deferred Benefits, Schedule SSA--0960-0606
Schedule SSA is a form filed annually as part of a series of
pension plan documents required by section 6057 of the IRS Code.
Administrators of pension benefit plans are required to report specific
information on future plan benefits for those participants who left
plan coverage during the year. SSA maintains the information until a
claim for Social Security benefits has been approved. At that time, SSA
notifies the beneficiary of his/her potential eligibility for payments
from the private pension plan. The respondents are administrators of
pension benefit plans or their service providers employed to prepare
the schedule SSA on behalf of the pension benefit plan. Below are the
estimates of the cost and hour burdens for completing and filing
schedule SSA(s). We have used an average to estimate the hour burden.
However, the burden may be greater or smaller depending on whether the
respondent is a large or small pension benefit plan and how many
schedule SSA's are filed in a given year.
Type of Request: Extension of an OMB-approved information
collection.
Number of Respondents: 88,000.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden Per Response: 2.5 hours.
Estimated Annual Burden: 220,000 hours.
Estimated Annual Cost Burden for all Respondents: $12,194,400.
3. Protection and Advocacy for Beneficiaries of Social Security
(PABSS)--0960-NEW
Background
In August of 2004, SSA announced its intention to award grants to
establish community-based protection and advocacy projects in every
State and U.S. Territory, as authorized under section 1150 of the
Social Security Act. Potential awardees were protection and
[[Page 66482]]
advocacy organizations established under Title I of the Developmental
Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act which submitted a timely
application conforming to the requirements in the notice. The projects
funded under this grant are part of SSA's strategy to increase the
number of beneficiaries who return to work and achieve self-sufficiency
as the result of receiving advocacy or other services. The overall goal
of the program is to provide information and advice about obtaining
vocational rehabilitation and employment services and to provide
advocacy or other services that a beneficiary with a disability may
need to secure, maintain, or regain gainful employment.
Collection Activities
The PABSS project collects identifying information from the project
sites and benefits specialists. In addition, data are collected from
the beneficiaries on background, employment, training, benefits, and
work incentives. SSA uses the information to manage the program, with
particular emphasis on contract administration, budgeting, and
training.
SSA also uses the information to evaluate the efficacy of the
program and to ensure that those dollars appropriated for PABSS
services are being spent on SSA beneficiaries. The project data will be
valuable to SSA in its analysis of and future planning for the Social
Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income
programs.
Type of Request: New information collection.
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Number of Average burden Estimated
Title of collection annual Frequency of per response annual burden
responses response (min.) hours
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Site........................................... 57 5 1.8 8.6
Specialist..................................... 225 5 1.8 33.8
Beneficiary.................................... 60,000 1 5.3 5,300
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Total Estimated Annual Burden.............. .............. .............. .............. 5,342
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4. SSI Monthly Wage Reporting Phase 2 Pilot--20 CFR 416.701-732-0960-
NEW
Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients are required to
report changes in their income, resources and living arrangements that
may affect eligibility or payment amount. Currently, SSI recipients
report changes on Form SSA-8150, Reporting Events--SSI, or to an SSA
teleservice representative through SSA's toll-free telephone number, or
they visit their local Social Security office.
The SSI wage reporting program area has the highest error rate
largely due to non-reporting, which accounts for approximately $500
million in overpayments each year. Consequently SSA is evaluating
methods for increasing reporting. SSA will conduct a pilot to test an
additional method for individuals to report wages for the SSI program.
We are testing to determine if, given an easily accessible automated
format, individuals will increase compliance with reporting
responsibilities. Increased timely reporting could result in a decrease
in improper payments. SSA will also be testing the use of knowledge-
based authentication to determine if this is an effective method of
accessing SSA's system.
During the pilot, participants who need to report a change in
earned income will call an SSA toll-free telephone number to report the
change. The participants will access SSA's system using knowledge-based
authentication (providing name, SSN and date of birth). Participants
will either speak their report (voice recognition technology) or key in
the information using the telephone key pad. SSA will issue receipts to
disabled recipients who report wages using this method. Respondents to
this collection are SSI recipients, deemors and representative payees
of recipients who agree to participate in the pilot.
Type of Request: New information collection.
Number of Respondents: 600.
Frequency of Response: 6.
Average Burden Per Response: 5 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 300 hours.
Dated: October 26, 2005.
Elizabeth A. Davidson,
Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 05-21820 Filed 11-1-05; 8:45 am]
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