2014-01827. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and 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, Fax: [phone], Email address: [e-mail].

(SSA)

Social Security Administration, OLCA, Attn: Reports Clearance Director, 3100 West High Rise, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235, Fax: [phone], Email address: [e-mail].

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 March 31, 2014. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection instruments by writing to the above email address.

1. Questionnaire About Employment or Self-Employment Outside the United States—20 CFR 404.401(b)(1), 404.415 & 404.417—0960-0050. When a Social Security beneficiary or claimant reports work outside the United States, SSA uses Form SSA-7163 to determine if foreign work deductions are applicable. Specifically, SSA uses Form SSA-7163 to determine: (1) Whether work performed by beneficiaries outside the United States is cause for deductions from their monthly benefits; (2) which of two work tests (foreign or regular test) is applicable; and (3) the number of months, if any, for SSA-imposed deductions. As the respondents are beneficiaries living and working outside the United States, SSA must determine whether the annual earnings test applies to all earnings from work covered by the Social Security Act (Act), including earnings from covered work performed outside the United States. However, because of the differences in foreign currency values, it is administratively impractical to apply this test to earnings from non-covered work performed outside the United States and base it on United States dollars. Accordingly, the 45-hour work test provides for deductions from the benefits of employees under full retirement age who engage in non-covered remunerative activity for more than 45 hours in a calendar month. SSA asks beneficiaries working outside the United States to complete this form annually or every other year (depending on the country of residence).

Respondents for this collection are beneficiaries or claimants for Social Security benefits who are engaged in work outside the United States.

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

Modality of completion	Number of respondents	Frequency of response	Average burden per response (minutes)	Estimated total annual burden (hours)
SSA-7163	20,000	1	12	4,000

2. Statement of Death by Funeral Director—20 CFR 404.715 and 404.720—0960-0142. When an SSA-insured worker dies, the funeral director or funeral home responsible for the worker's burial or cremation completes Form SSA-721 and sends it to SSA. SSA uses this information for three purposes: (1) To establish proof of death for the insured worker; (2) to determine if the insured individual was receiving any pre-death benefits SSA needs to terminate; and (3) to ascertain which surviving family member is eligible for the lump-sum death payment or for other death benefits. The respondents are funeral directors who handled death arrangements for the insured individuals.

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

Modality of completion	Number of respondents	Frequency of response	Average burden per response (minutes)	Estimated total annual burden (hours)
SSA-721	319,811	1	4	21,321

II. SSA submitted the information collections below to OMB for clearance. Your comments regarding the 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 March 3, 2014. Individuals can obtain copies of the OMB clearance packages by writing to [e-mail].

1. Statement of Agricultural Employer (Year Prior to 1988; and 1988 and later)—20 CFR 404.702, 404.802, 404.1056—0960-0036. If agricultural workers believe their employers (1) did not report their wages or (2) reported incorrect wage amounts, SSA will assist them in resolving this issue. Specifically, SSA will send Forms SSA-1002-F3 or SSA-1003-F3 to the agricultural employers to collect evidence of wages paid. The respondents are agricultural employers whose workers request wage verification or correction for their earnings records.

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

Modality of completion	Number of respondents	Frequency of response	Average burden per response (minutes)	Estimated total annual burden (hours)
SSA-1002	7,500	1	30	3,750
SSA-1003	25,000	1	30	12,500
Total	32,500			16,250

2. Request for Waiver of Special Veterans Benefits (SVB) Overpayment Recovery or Change in Repayment Rate—20 CFR 408.900-408.950-0960-0698. Title VIII of the Act requires SSA to pay a monthly benefit to qualified World War II veterans who reside outside the United States. When an overpayment in this SVB occurs, the beneficiary can request a waiver of recovery of the overpayment or a change in the repayment rate. SSA uses the SSA-2032-BK to obtain the information necessary to establish whether the claimant meets the waiver of recovery provisions of the overpayment, and to determine the repayment rate if we do not waive repayment. Respondents are SVB beneficiaries who have overpayments on their Title VIII record and wish to file a claim for waiver of recovery or change in repayment rate.

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

Modality of completion	Number of respondents	Frequency of response	Average burden per response (minutes)	Estimated total annual burden (hours)
SSA-2032-BK	450	1	120	900

Dated: January 27, 2014.

Faye Lipsky,

Reports Clearance Director, Social Security Administration.