2012-22843. Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed 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 to and extensions 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 Director 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, DCRDP, Attn: Reports Clearance Director, 107 Altmeyer Building, 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 November 16, 2012. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection instruments by writing to the above email address.

1. Substitution of Party Upon Death of Claimant—20 CFR 404.957(c)(4) and 416.1457(c)(4)—0960-0288. An administrative law judge (ALJ) may dismiss a request for a hearing on a pending claim of a deceased individual for Social Security benefits or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. Individuals who believe they may be adversely affected by the dismissal may ask to be a substitute party for the deceased claimant by completing Form HA-539. The ALJs and the hearing office support staff use this form to (1) maintain a written record of the request; (2) establish the relationship of the requester to the deceased claimant; (3) determine the substituted individual's wishes regarding an oral hearing or decision on the record; and (4) admit the data into the claimant's official record as an exhibit. The respondents are individuals requesting to be a substitute party for a deceased claimant.

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)
HA-539	4,000	1	5	333

2. Continuation of SSI Benefits for the Temporarily Institutionalized—Certification of Period and Need to Maintain Home—20 CFR 416.212(b)(1)—0960-0516. When SSI recipients (1) enter a public institution or (2) enter a private medical treatment facility with Medicaid paying more than 50 percent of expenses, SSA must reduce recipients' SSI payments to a nominal sum. However, if this institutionalization is temporary (defined as a maximum of three months), SSA may waive the reduction. Before SSA can waive the SSI payment reduction, the agency must receive the following documentation: (1) A physician's certification stating the SSI recipient will only be institutionalized for a maximum of 3 months and (2) certification from the recipient, the recipient's family, or friends confirming SSI payments are needed to maintain the living arrangements to which the individual will return post-institutionalization. The respondents are SSI recipients, their family or friends, and doctors.

Type of Request: Extension 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)
Certifications from physicians, and other respondents	60,000	1	5	5,000

3. Representative Payee Report of Benefits and Dedicated Account—20 CFR 416.546, 416.635, 416.640, 416.665-0960-0576. SSA requires representative payees (RP) to submit a written report accounting for the use of money paid to Social Security or SSI recipients, and to establish and maintain a dedicated account for these payments. SSA uses Form SSA-6233 to ensure the RPs are using the benefits for the recipient's current maintenance and personal needs, and the expenditures of funds from the dedicated account are in compliance with the law. Respondents are RPs for SSI and Social Security recipients.

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-6233	30,000	1	20	10,000

4. Application for Circuit Court Law—20 CFR 404.985 & 416.1458-0960-0581. Persons claiming an acquiescence ruling (AR) would change SSA's prior determination or decision must submit a written readjudication request with specific information. SSA reviews the information in the requests to determine if the issues stated in the AR pertain to the claimant's case, and if the claimant is entitled to readjudcation. If readjudication is appropriate, SSA considers only the issues the AR covers. Any new determination or decision is subject to administrative or judicial review as specified in the regulations. Respondents are claimants for Social Security benefits and SSI payments who request readjudication. This information collection request is for the information claimants must provide to request readjudication.

Type of Request: Extension 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)
AR-based Readjudication Requests	10,000	1	17	2,833

Dated: August 12, 2012.

Faye Lipsky,

Reports Clearance Director, Social Security Administration.