02-12879. 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 Public Law 104-13 effective October 1, 1995, The Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. 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 and at the following addresses:

(OMB) Office of Management and Budget, Attn: Desk Officer for SSA, New Executive Office Building, Room 10235, 725 17th St., NW., Washington, DC 20503.

(SSA) Social Security Administration, DCFAM, Attn: Reports Clearance Officer, 1-A-21 Operations Bldg., 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235.

I. The information collections listed below 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. Application for Parent's Insurance Benefits—0960-0012. The information collected on form SSA-7 is used by the Social Security Administration to determine entitlement of an individual to parent's social security insurance benefits. The respondents are parents who were dependent on the worker for at least one-half of their support.

Number of Respondents: 1,400.

Frequency of Response: 1.

Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.

Estimated Annual Burden: 350 hours.

2. The Census Bureau Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) on Behalf of the Social Security Administration (SSA)—0960-NEW. SSA has requested the Census Bureau to include in its SIPP interviews scheduled for January 2003 a sample of social security disabled insurance beneficiaries and supplemental security income recipients. SSA will use these data to conduct statistical research of recipients of SSA-administered programs. The SIPP for SSA Beneficiaries is a household-based survey molded around a central “core” of labor force and income questions. The core is supplemented with questions designed to address specific needs, such as obtaining information about assets and liabilities, as well as expenses related to work, health care, child support and real estate/dependent care. These supplemental questions are included with the core and are referred to as “topical modules.”

The survey is currently scheduled for one month and will include approximately 1,000 households. We estimate that each household will average 2.1 people, yielding 2,100 interviews. Interviews take 30 minutes on average. The total burden for the SIPP for SSA Beneficiaries would be 1,050 hours.

The topical modules for the SIPP for SSA Beneficiaries collect information about:

• Medical Expenses and Utilization of Health Care (Adults and Children)
• Work Related Expenses, Child Support Paid and Child Care Poverty
• Assets, Liabilities, and Eligibility
• Real Estate and Dependent Care

The survey interviews will be conducted from January 1, 2003 through January 31, 2003.

Number of Respondents: 2,100.

Frequency of Response: 1.

Average Burden Per Response: 30 minutes.

Estimated Annual Burden: 1,050 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 on [phone], or by writing to the address listed above.

1. Application for Benefits Under a U.S. International Social Security Agreement—0960-0448. The information collected on form SSA-2490 is used by SSA to determine a claimant's eligibility for U.S. Social Security benefits under the provisions of an international social security agreement. It is also used to take an application for benefits from a foreign country under an agreement. The respondents are individuals who are applying for benefits from either the United States and/or a foreign country with which the United States has an agreement. The United States currently has 17 such agreements.

Number of Respondents: 22,000.

Frequency of response: 1.

Average Burden per response: 30 minutes.

Estimated Annual Burden: 11,000 hours.

2. Request for Workers' Compensation/Public Disability Information—0960-0098. Form SSA-1709 is used by SSA to request and/or to verify information about worker's compensation or public disability benefits given to Social Security disability insurance benefit recipients so that their monthly benefit adjustments are properly made. The respondents are State and local governments and/or businesses that administer workers' compensation or other disability benefits.

Number of Respondents: 140,000.

Frequency of Response: 1.

Average Burden Per Response: 15 minutes.

Estimated Annual Burden: 35,000 hours.

3. Government Pension Questionnaire—0960-0160. The Social Security Act and Regulations provide that an individual receiving spouse's benefits and concurrently receiving a Government pension, based on the individual's own earnings, may have the Social Security benefit amount reduced by two-thirds of the pension amount. The data collected on Form SSA-3885 is used by the Social Security Administration (SSA) to determine if the individual's Social Security benefit will be reduced, the amount of reduction, the effective date of the reduction and if one of the exceptions in SSA regulations applies. The respondents are individuals who are receiving (or will receive) Social Security spouse's benefits and also receive their own Government pension.

Number of Respondents: 30,000.

Frequency of Response: 1.

Average Burden Per Response: 12.5 minutes.

Estimated Annual Burden: 6,250 hours.

Dated: May 17, 2002.

Elizabeth A. Davidson,

Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.