Effective Date: January 11, 2006
(71 F.R. 1830)
SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION NOTICE OF SYSTEM OF RECORDS REQUIRED BY THE PRIVACY ACT OF 1974
SYSTEM NUMBER: 60-0103
System name:
Supplemental Security Income Record and Special Veterans Benefits, Social Security Administration, Office of Systems, Office of Disability and Supplemental Security Income Systems (ODSSIS).
Security classification:
None.
System Location:
Social Security Administration
Office of Telecommunications and Systems Operations
Records also may be located in the Social Security Administration (SSA) regional offices (contact the system manager at the address below or access http://www.socialsecurity.gov/foia/bluebook/app_c.htm for address information) and field offices (individuals should consult their local telephone directories for address information).
Categories of individuals covered by the system:
This file contains a record for each individual who has applied for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments, including individuals who have requested an advance payment; SSI recipients who have been overpaid; and ineligible persons associated with an SSI recipient. This file also covers those individuals who have applied for and who are entitled to the Special Veterans Benefits (SVB) under Title VIII of the Social Security Act. (This file does not cover applicants who do not have a Social Security number (SSN).)
Categories of in the system:
This file contains data regarding SSI eligibility; citizenship; residence; Medicaid eligibility; eligibility for other benefits; alcoholism or drug addiction data, if applicable (disclosure of this information may be restricted by 21 U.S.C. 1175 and 42 U.S.C. 290dd-3 and ee-3); income data; resources; payment amounts, including the date and amount of advance payments; overpayment amounts, including identifying characteristics of each overpayment (e.g., name, SSN, address of the individual(s) involved, recovery efforts made and the date of each action and planned future actions); and date and amount of advance payments; living arrangements; case folder location data; appellate decisions, if applicable; SSN used to identify a particular individual, if applicable; information about representative payees, if applicable; and a history of changes to any of the persons who have applied for SSI payments. For eligible individuals, the file contains basic identifying information such as the applicant's name, Social Security number (SSN), and date of birth (DOB), income and resources (if any) and, in conversion cases, the State welfare number.
This file also contains information about applicants for SVB. The information maintained in this system of records is collected from the applicants for Title VIII SVB, and other systems of records maintained by SSA. The information maintained includes a data element indicating this is a Title VIII SVB claim. It will also include: identifying information such as the applicant's name, SSN and DOB; telephone number (if any); foreign and domestic addresses; the applicant's sex; income data, payment amounts (including overpayment amounts); and other information provided by the applicant relative to his or her entitlement for SVB.
If the beneficiary has a representative payee, this system of records includes data about the representative payee such as the payee's SSN; employer identification number, if applicable; and mailing address.
Authority for maintenance of the system:
Sections 1602, 1611, 1612, 1613, 1614, 1615, 1616, 1631, 1633, 1634 of Title XVI and Title VIII of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1382, 1382a, 1382b, 1382c, 1382d, 1382e, 1383, 1383b, 1383c.
Purpose(s):
SSI records begin in Social Security field offices where an individual or couple files an application for SSI payments. SVB records begin in Social Security field offices and the Veterans Affairs Regional Office where an individual files an application for SVB payments. The SSI and SVB applications contain data which may be used to prove the identity of the applicant, to determine his/her eligibility for SSI or SVB payments and, in cases where eligibility is determined, to compute the amount of the payment. Information from the application, in addition to data used internally to control and process SSI and SVB cases, is used to create the Supplemental Security Income Record (SSR). The SSR also is used as a means of providing a historical record of all activity on a particular individual's or couple's record. In addition, statistical data are derived from the SSR for actuarial and management information purposes.
Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories of users and the purposes of such uses:
Disclosure may be made for routine uses as indicated below. However, disclosure of any information defined as ``returns or return information'' under 26 U.S.C. 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code will not be disclosed unless authorized by a statute, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), or IRS regulations.
1. To the Department of the Treasury to prepare SSI, Energy Assistance, and SVB checks to be sent to claimants or beneficiaries.
2. To the States to establish the minimum income level for computation of State supplements.
3. To the following Federal and State agencies to prepare information for verification of benefit eligibility under section 1631(e) of the Social Security Act: Bureau of Indian Affairs; Office of Personnel Management; Department of Agriculture; Department of Labor; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; Internal Revenue Service; Railroad Retirement Board; State Pension Funds; State Welfare Offices; State Worker's Compensation; Department of Defense; United States Coast Guard; and Department of Veterans Affairs.
4. To a congressional office in response to an inquiry from that office made at the request of the subject of a record.
5. To the appropriate State agencies (or other agencies providing services to disabled children) to identify Title XVI eligibles under the age of 16 for the consideration of rehabilitation services in accordance with section 1615 of the Act, 42 U.S.C. 1382d.
6. To contractors under contract to the Social Security Administration (SSA), or under contract to another agency with funds provided by SSA, for the performance of research and statistical activities directly relating to this system of records.
7. To State audit agencies for auditing State supplementation payments and Medicaid eligibility consideration.
8. To State agencies to effect and report the fact of Medicaid eligibility of Title XVI recipients in the jurisdiction of those States which have elected Federal determinations of Medicaid eligibility of Title XVI eligibles and to assist the States in administering the Medicaid program.
9. To State agencies to identify Title XVI eligibles in the jurisdiction of those States which have not elected Federal determinations of Medicaid eligibility in order to assist those States in establishing and maintaining Medicaid rolls and in administering the Medicaid program.
10. To State agencies to enable those agencies which have elected Federal administration of their supplementation programs to monitor changes in applicant/recipient income, special needs, and circumstances.
11. To State agencies to enable those agencies which have elected to administer their own supplementation programs to identify SSI eligibles in order to determine the amount of their monthly supplementary payments.
12. To State agencies to enable them to assist in the effective and efficient administration of the Supplemental Security Income program.
13. To State agencies to enable those which have an agreement with the Social Security Administration to carry out their functions with respect to Interim Assistance Reimbursement pursuant to section 1631(g) of the Social Security Act.
14. To State agencies to enable them to locate potentially eligible individuals and to make eligibility determinations for extensions of social services under the provisions of Title XX of the Social Security Act.
15. To State agencies to assist them in determining initial and continuing eligibility in their income maintenance programs and for investigation and prosecution of conduct subject to criminal sanctions under these programs.
16. To the United States Postal Service for investigating the alleged theft, forgery or unlawful negotiation of Supplemental Security Income and Special Veterans Benefit checks.
17. To the Department of the Treasury for investigating the alleged theft, forgery or unlawful negotiation of Supplemental Security Income and Special Veterans Benefit checks.
18. To the Department of Education for determining the eligibility of applicants for Basic Educational
19. To Federal, State or local agencies (or agents on their behalf) for administering cash or non-cash income maintenance or health maintenance programs (including programs under the Social Security Act). Such disclosures include, but are not limited to, release of information to:
(a) The Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) upon request for determining eligibility for, or amount of, DVA benefits or verifying other information with respect thereto in accordance with 38 U.S.C. 5106;
(b) The Railroad Retirement Board for administering the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act;
(c) State agencies to determine eligibility for Medicaid;
(d) State agencies to locate potentially eligible individuals and to make determinations of eligibility for the food stamp program;
(e) State agencies to administer energy assistance to low income groups under programs for which the States are responsible; and
(f) Department of State (DOS) and its agents to assist SSA in administering the Social Security Act in foreign countries; the American Institute on Taiwan, a private corporation under contract to DOS, to assist in administering the Social Security Act in Taiwan; and the DVA, Regional Office,
20. To the Internal Revenue Service, Department of the Treasury, as necessary, for the purpose of auditing the Social Security Administration's compliance with the safeguard provisions of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.
21. To the Office of the President for the purpose of responding to an individual pursuant to an inquiry received from that individual or a third party on his/her behalf.
22. To the Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Office of Special Investigations, upon receipt of a request for information pertaining to the identity and location of aliens for the purpose of detecting, investigating and, where necessary, taking legal action against suspected Nazi war criminals in the United States.
23. To third party contacts such as private collection agencies and credit reporting agencies under contract with the Social Security Administration (SSA) and State motor vehicle agencies for the purpose of their assisting SSA in recovering overpayments.
24. To contractors and other Federal agencies, as necessary, for the purpose of assisting the Social Security Administration (SSA) in the efficient administration of its programs. We will disclose information under this routine use only in situations in which SSA may enter a contractual or similar agreement with a third party to assist in accomplishing an Agency function relating to this system of records.
25. To the General Services Administration and the National Archives Records Administration (NARA) under 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906, as amended by the NARA Act of 1984, information which is not restricted from disclosure by Federal law for the use of those agencies in conducting records management studies.
26. To the Department of Justice (DOJ), a court or other tribunal, or another party before such tribunal when:
(a) Social Security Administration (SSA), or any component thereof, or
(b) Any SSA employee in his/her official capacity; or
(c) Any SSA employee in his/her individual capacity where DOJ (or SSA where it is authorized to do so) has agreed to represent the employee; or
(d) The United States or any agency thereof where SSA determines that the litigation is likely to affect the operations of SSA or any of its components, is a party to litigation or has an interest in such litigation, and SSA determines that the use of such records by DOJ, a court or other tribunal, or another party before such tribunal, is relevant and necessary to the litigation, provided, however, that in each case, SSA determines that such disclosure is compatible with the purpose for which the records were collected.
27. To representative payees, when the information pertains to individuals for whom they serve as representative payees, for the purpose of assisting the Social Security Administration in administering its representative payment responsibilities under the Act and assisting the representative payees in performing their duties as payees, including receiving and accounting for benefits for individuals for whom they serve as payees.
28. To third party contacts (e.g., employers and private pension plans) in situations where the party to be contacted has, or is expected to have, information relating to the individual's capability to manage his/her affairs or his/her eligibility for, or entitlement to, benefits under the Social Security program when:
(a) The individual is unable to provide information being sought. An individual is considered to be unable to provide certain types of information when:
(i) He/she is incapable or of questionable mental capability;
(ii) He/she cannot read or write;
(iii) He/she cannot afford the cost of obtaining the information;
(iv) He/she has a hearing impairment, and is contacting SSA by telephone through a telecommunications relay system operator;
(v) A language barrier exists; or
(vi) The custodian of the information will not, as a matter of policy, provide it to the individual; or
(b) The data are needed to establish the validity of evidence or to verify the accuracy of information presented by the individual, and it concerns one or more of the following:
(i) His/her eligibility for benefits under the Social Security program;
(ii) The amount of his/her benefit payment; or
(iii) Any case in which the evidence is being reviewed as a result of suspected fraud, concern for program integrity, quality appraisal, or evaluation and measurement activities.
29. To the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) for use in its program studies of, and development of enhancements for, State vocational rehabilitation programs. These are programs to which applicants or beneficiaries under Titles II and or XVI of the Social Security Act may be referred. Data released to RSA will not include any personally identifying information (such as names or Social Security numbers).
30. To the Department of Education, addresses of beneficiaries who are obligated on loans held by the Secretary of Education or a loan made in accordance with 20 U.S.C. 1071, et. seq. (the Robert T. Stafford Student Loan Program), as authorized by section 489A of the Higher Education Act of 1965.
31. To student volunteers, individuals working under a personal services contract, and other workers who technically do not have the status of Federal employees, when they are performing work for the Social Security Administration (SSA), as authorized by law, and they need access to personally identifiable information in SSA records in order to perform their assigned Agency functions.
32. To Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies and private security contractors, as appropriate, if information is necessary:
(a) To enable them to protect the safety of Social Security Administration (SSA) employees and customers, the security of the SSA workplace and the operation of SSA facilities; or
(b) To assist investigations or prosecutions with respect to activities that affect such safety and security or activities that disrupt the operation of SSA facilities.
33. To recipient of erroneous Death Master File (DMF), corrections to information that resulted in erroneous inclusion of individuals DMF.
34. To entities conducting epidemiological or similar research projects, upon request, information as to whether an individual is alive or deceased pursuant to section 1106(d) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1306(d)), provided that:
(a) The Social Security Administration (SSA) determines, in consultation with the Department of Health and Human Services, that the research may reasonably be expected to contribute to a national health interest; and
(b) The requester agrees to reimburse SSA for the costs of providing the information; and
(c) The requester agrees to comply with any safeguards and limitations specified by SSA regarding re-release or re-disclosure of the information.
35. To a Federal, State, or congressional support agency (e.g., Congressional Budget Office and the Congressional Research Staff in the Library of Congress) for research, evaluation, or statistical studies. Such disclosures include, but are not limited to, release of information in assessing the extent to which one can predict eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments or Social Security disability insurance benefits; examining the distribution of Social Security benefits by economic and demographic groups and how these differences might be affected by possible changes in policy; analyzing the interaction of economic and non-economic variables affecting entry and exit events and duration in the Title II Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance and the Title XVI SSI disability programs; and analyzing retirement decisions focusing on the role of Social Security benefit amounts, automatic benefit recomputation, the delayed retirement credit, and the retirement test, if the Social Security Administration (SSA):
(a) Determines that the routine use does not violate legal limitations under which the record was provided, collected, or obtained;
(b) Determines that the purpose for which the proposed use is to be made:
(i) Cannot reasonably be accomplished unless the record is provided in a form that identifies individuals;
(ii) Is of sufficient importance to warrant the effect on, or risk to, the privacy of the individual which such limited additional exposure of the record might bring;
(iii) Has reasonable probability that the objective of the use would be accomplished;
(iv) Is of importance to the Social Security program or the Social Security beneficiaries or is for an epidemiological research project that relates to the Social Security program or beneficiaries;
(c) Requires the recipient of information to:
(i) Establish appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to prevent unauthorized use or disclosure of the record and agree to on-site inspection by SSA's personnel, its agents, or by independent agents of the recipient agency of those safeguards;
(ii) Remove or destroy the information that enables the individual to be identified at the earliest time at which removal or destruction can be accomplished consistent with the purpose of the project, unless the recipient receives written authorization from SSA that it is justified, based on research objectives, for retaining such information;
(iii) Make no further use of the records except:
(1) Under emergency circumstances affecting the health and safety of any individual, following written authorization from SSA;
(2) For disclosure to an identified person approved by SSA for the purpose of auditing the research project;
(iv) Keep the data as a system of statistical records. A statistical record is one which is maintained only for statistical and research purposes and which is not used to make any determination about an individual;
(d) Secures a written statement by the recipient of the information attesting to the recipient's understanding of, and willingness to abide by, these provisions.
36. To the Secretary of Health and Human Services or to any State, the Commissioner shall disclose any record or information requested in writing by the Secretary for the purpose of administering any program administered by the Secretary, if records or information of such type were so disclosed under applicable rules, regulations and procedures in effect before the date of enactment of the Social Security Independence and Program Improvements Act of 1994.
Disclosure to Consumer Reporting Agencies:
Disclosure pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(12) may be made to consumer reporting agencies as defined in the Fair Credit Reporting Act (15 U.S.C. 1681a(f)) or the Federal Claims Collection Act of 1966 (31 U.S.C. 3701, et seq.), as amended. The disclosure will be made in accordance with 31 U.S.C. 3711(e) when authorized by sections 204(f), 808(e) or 1631(b)(4) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 404(f), 1008(e) or 1383(b)(4)). The purpose of this disclosure is to aid in the collection of outstanding debts owed the Federal Government, typically, to provide an incentive for debtors to repay delinquent Federal
Government debts by making these debts part of their credit records. The information to be disclosed is limited to the individual's name, address, SSN, and other information necessary to establish the individual's identity; the amount, status, and history of the debt and the agency or program under which the debt arose.
Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining and disposing of records in the system:
Storage:
Records are maintained in magnetic media (e.g., magnetic tape) and in microform and microfiche form.
Retrievability:
Records are indexed and retrieved by SSN.
Safeguards:
Systems security for automated records has been established in accordance with the Systems Security Handbook. This includes maintaining all magnetic tapes and magnetic disks within an enclosure attended by security guards. Anyone entering or leaving that enclosure must have special badges which are only issued to authorized personnel. All authorized personnel having access to the magnetic records are subject to the penalties of the Privacy Act. The microfiche are stored in locked cabinets, and are accessible to employees only on a need-to-know basis. All SSR State Data Exchange records are protected in accordance with agreements between SSA and the respective States regarding confidentiality, use, and re-disclosure. Access http://www.socialsecurity.gov/foia/bluebook/app_g.htm for additional information relating to SSA data security measures.
Retention and disposal:
Original input transaction tapes received which contain initial claims and posteligibility actions are retained indefinitely although these are processed as received and incorporated into processing tapes which are updated to the master SSR tape file on a monthly basis. All magnetic tapes appropriate to SSI information furnished to specified Federal, State, and local agencies for verification of eligibility for benefits and under section 1631(e) are retained, in accordance with the Privacy Act accounting requirements, for at least 5 years or the life of the record, whichever is longer.
System manager(s) and address(es):
Associate Commissioner
Office of Disability and Supplemental Security Income Systems (ODSSIS)
Social Security Administration
Notification procedures:
An individual can determine if this system contains a record about him/her by writing to or visiting any Social Security field office (FO) and providing his or her name and SSN. (FO addresses and telephone numbers can be found in local telephone directories under Social Security Administration, or by accessing http://www.ssa.gov/regions/regional.html.) Applicants for SVB who reside in the
An individual requesting notification of records in person should provide the same information, as well as provide an identity document, preferably with a photograph, such as a driver's license or some other means of identification. If an individual does not have any identification documents sufficient to establish his/her identity, the individual must certify in writing that he/she is the person claimed to be and that he/she understands that the knowing and willful request for, or acquisition of, a record pertaining to another individual under false pretenses is a criminal offense.
If notification is requested by telephone, an individual must verify his/her identity by providing identifying information that parallels information in the record to which notification is being requested. If it is determined that the identifying information provided by telephone is insufficient, the individual will be required to submit a request in writing or in person. If an individual is requesting information by telephone on behalf of another individual, the subject individual must be connected with SSA and the requesting individual in the same phone call. SSA will establish the subject individual's identity (his/her name, SSN, address, date of birth and place of birth, along with one other piece of information, such as mother's maiden name) and ask for his/her consent in providing information to the requesting individual.
If a request for notification is submitted by mail, an individual must include a notarized statement to SSA to verify his/her identity or must certify in the request that he/she is the person claimed to be and that he/she understands that the knowing and willful request for, or acquisition of, a record pertaining to another individual under false pretenses is a criminal offense. These procedures are in accordance with SSA Regulations (20 CFR 401.40(c)).
Record access procedures:
Same as Notification procedures. Requesters should also reasonably specify the record contents being sought. An individual who requests notification of, or access to, a medical record shall, at the time he or she makes the request, designate in writing a responsible representative who will be willing to review the record and inform the subject individual of its contents at the representative's discretion. A parent or guardian who requests notification of, or access to, a minor's medical record shall, at the time he or she makes the request, designate a physician or other health professional (other than a family member) who will be willing to review the record and inform the parent or guardian of its contents at the physician's or health professional's discretion. These procedures are in accordance with SSA Regulations (20 CFR 401.40(c) and 401.55).
Contesting record procedures:
Same as Notification procedures. Requesters should also reasonably identify the record, specify the information they are contesting and the corrective action sought, and the reasons for the correction, with supporting justification showing how the record is incomplete, untimely, inaccurate or irrelevant. These procedures are in accordance with SSA Regulations (20 CFR 401.65(a)).
Record source categories:
Data contained in the SSR are obtained for the most part from the applicant for SSI and SVB payments and are derived from the Claims Folders System, 60-0089 and the Modernized Supplemental Security Income Claims System. The States and other Federal agencies such as the DVA also provide data affecting the SSR.
Systems exempted from certain provisions of the Privacy Act:
None.