2020-19450. Agency Information Collection Activity under OMB Review: Application for DIC, Death Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits; Application for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation by a Surviving Spouse or Child; Application for Dependency and ...

AGENCY:

Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, this notice announces that the Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, will submit the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden and it includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/​public/​do/​PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function. Refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0004.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Danny S. Green, Enterprise Records Service (005R1B), Department of Veterans Affairs, 811 Vermont Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20420, [phone] or email [e-mail]. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0004” in any correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: 38 U.S.C. 1310 through 1314 and 1532 through 1543. Title: Application for DIC, Death Pension, and/or Accrued Benefits; Application for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation by a Surviving Spouse or Child; Application for Dependency and Indemnity Compensation. OMB Control Number: 2900-0004. Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection. Abstract: VA Form 21P-534 is used to gather the necessary information to determine the eligibility of surviving spouses and children for dependency and indemnity compensation (DIC), death pension, accrued benefits, and death compensation. VA Form 21P-534a is an abbreviated application for DIC that is used only by surviving spouses and children of veterans who died while on active duty service. The VA Form 21P-534EZ is used for the Fully Developed Claims (FDC) program for pension claims. Without this information, determination of entitlement would not be possible. An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on this collection of information was published at 85 FR 114 on June 14, 2020, pages 35997 and 35998. Affected Public: Individuals or Households. Estimated Annual Burden: 62,857 hours. Estimated Average Burden Per Respondent: 37.184 minutes. Frequency of Response: One time. Estimated Number of Respondents: 101,426.

By direction of the Secretary:

Danny S. Green,

VA PRA Clearance Officer, Office of Quality, Performance and Risk (QPR), Department of Veterans Affairs.