2020-16666. Agency Information Collection Activities: 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 a revision of an OMB-approved information collection.

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]

Or you may submit your comments online through www.regulations.gov,, referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-2020-0037].

SSA submitted the information collection below to OMB for clearance. Your comments regarding this information collection 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 August 31, 2020. Individuals can obtain copies of the OMB clearance package by writing to [e-mail].

Authorization for the Social Security Administration to Obtain Wage and Employment Information from Payroll Data Providers—0960-0807. Section 824 of the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2015, Public Law 114-74, authorizes SSA to enter into information exchanges with payroll data providers for the purposes of improving program administration and preventing improper payments in the Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) programs. SSA uses Form SSA-8240, “Authorization for the Social Security Administration to Obtain Wage and Employment Information from Payroll Data Providers,” to secure the authorization needed from the relevant members of the public to obtain their wage and employment information from payroll data providers. Ultimately, SSA uses this wage and employment information to help determine program eligibility and payment amounts.

The public completes Form SSA-8240 using the following modalities: A paper form; the internet; or an in-office, or telephone interview, during which an SSA employee documents the wage and employment information authorization information on one of SSA's internal systems (the Modernized Claims System (MCS); the SSI Claims System; eWork; or iMain). The individual's authorization remains effective until one of the following four events occurs:

• SSA makes a final adverse decision on the application for benefits, and the applicant has filed no other claims or appeals under the Title for which SSA obtained the authorization;
• the individual's eligibility for payments ends, and the individual has not filed other claims or appeals under the Title for which SSA obtained the authorization;
• the individual revokes the authorization verbally or in writing; or
• the deeming relationship ends (for SSI purposes only).

SSA requests authorization on an as-needed basis as part of the following processes: (a) SSDI and SSI initial claims; (b) SSI redeterminations; and (c) SSDI Work Continuing Disability Reviews. The respondents are individuals who file for, or are currently receiving, SSDI or SSI payments, and any person whose income and resources SSA counts when determining an individual's SSI eligibility or payment amount.

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)	Average theoretical hourly cost amount (dollars) *	Average wait time in field office (minutes) **	Total annual opportunity cost (dollars) ***
SSA-8240 (paper)	150,000	1	6	15,000	* $10.73	** 24	*** $804,750
Web Title II & Title XVI Electronic (MCS, MSSICS, and eWork)	3,492,903	1	2	116,430	* 10.73	0	*** 1,249,294
Internet	467,883	1	2	15,596	* 10.73	0	*** 167,345
Totals	4,110,786			147,026			*** 2,221,389
* We based this figure on average DI payments, as reported in SSA's disability insurance payment data (https://www.ssa.gov/​legislation/​2020Fact%20Sheet.pdf).
** We based this figure on the average FY 2020 wait times for field offices, based on SSA's current management information data.
*** 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.

Dated: July 28, 2020.

Naomi Sipple,

Reports Clearance Officer, Social Security Administration.