2024-18497. Changes to the Administrative Rules for Claimant Representation and Provisions for Direct Payment to Entities

CFR citations; OMB No. form No.	Description of new public reporting requirement	Number of respondents	Frequency of response	Average burden per response (minutes)	Anticipated estimated total burden under regulation (hours)
404.1707(a), 416.1507(a), SSA-1696 (0960-0527). Effective Date: December 9, 2024	You [claimant] complete and sign our prescribed appointment form, and	1,100,000	1	7	128,333
404.1707(a), 416.1507(a), SSA-1696 (0960-0527). Effective Date: December 9, 2024	Your representative completes and signs our prescribed appointment form, and	1,100,000	1	5	91,667
404.1720(f), 416.1520(f), SSA-1696 (0960-0527). Effective Date: December 9, 2024	A representative who is eligible for direct payment of an authorized fee may assign the authorized fee to an entity that is eligible for direct payment	500,000	1	5	* 41,667
404.1730(e)(2), 416.1530(e)(2), SSA-1696 (0960-0527). Effective Date: December 9, 2024	A representative may rescind an assignment before the date on which we notify you of our first favorable determination or decision	150,000	1	3	7,500
404.1735, 416.1535, SSA-1694 (0960-0731). Effective Date: September 30, 2024	An entity is eligible for direct payment if the entity: (a) has an Employment Identification Number, (b) is registered with us in the manner we prescribe,
	(c) has not been found ineligible for direct payment,
	(d) designates and maintains an employee who is a registered representative as a point of contact to speak and act on the entity's behalf,
	(e) accepts payment via electronic transfer, and
	(f) conforms to our rules	7,000	1	18	2,100
404.1705(c), 404.1730(e)(v), 404.1735(b) 416.1505(c), 416.1530(e)(v), 416.1535(b), SSA-1699 (0960-0732). Effective Date: September 30, 2024	Your representative(s) must be registered with us in the manner we prescribe before you submit the appointment(s)	15,382	1	20	15,382
Totals		2,867,382			276,394

The following chart shows the theoretical cost burdens associated with the final rule:

OMB No.; form No.; CFR citations	Number of respondents	Anticipated estimated total burden under regulation from chart above (hours)	Average theoretical hourly cost amount (dollars) **	Total annual opportunity cost (dollars) ***
404.1707(a), 416.1507(a), SSA-1696 (0960-0527). Effective Date: December 9, 2024	1,100,000	128,333	** 13.30	*** 1,706,829
404.1707(a), 416.1507(a), SSA-1696 (0960-0527). Effective Date: December 9, 2024	1,100,000	91,667	** 84.84	*** $7,777,028
404.1720(f), 416.1520 (f), SSA-1696 (0960-0527). Effective Date: December 9, 2024	500,000	* 41,667	** 84.84	*** 3,535,028
404.1730(e)(2), 416.1530(e)(2), SSA-1696 (0960-0527). Effective Date: December 9, 2024	150,000	7,500	** 84.84	*** 636,300
404.1735, 416.1535, SSA-1694 (0960-0731). Effective Date: September 30, 2024	7,000	2,100	** 84.84	*** 178,164
SSA-1699, (0960-0732), Effective Date: September 30, 2024	15,382	5,127	** 84.84	*** 434,975
Totals	2,867,382	276,394		*** 14,268,324
* This is not additional burden but part of the existing burden for those representatives who complete this instrument but also check the assignment box. We include it here to indicate a change in burden for this regulatory section.
** We based these figures on average Legal Service hourly salary, as reported by Bureau of Labor Statistics data ( https://www.bls.gov/​oes/​current/​oes231011.htm) and the average DI payments based on SSA's current FY 2024 data ( https://www.ssa.gov/​legislation/​2024FactSheet.pdf).
*** 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.