[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 42 (Thursday, March 3, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11835-11837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-4797]
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SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION
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 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, e-mail, 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:
202-395-6974, Email address: [email protected].
(SSA)
Social Security Administration, DCBFM, Attn: Reports Clearance
Officer, 1333 Annex Building, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235,
Fax: 410-965-6400, E-mail address: [email protected].
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 May
2, 2011. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection instruments by
calling the SSA Reports Clearance Officer at 410-965-8783 or by writing
to the above email address.
1. Statement Regarding Marriage--20 CFR 404.726--0960-0017. Section
216(h)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act (the Act) directs SSA to apply
state law to determine an individual's marital relationship. Some state
laws recognize marriages without a ceremony (i.e., common-law
marriages). In such cases, SSA provides the same spouse/widow(er)
benefits to the common-law spouses as it does to ceremonially married
spouses. To determine common-law spouses, SSA must elicit information
from blood relatives or other persons who are knowledgeable about the
alleged common-law relationship. SSA uses Form SSA-753, Statement
Regarding Marriage, to collect information from third parties to verify
the applicant's statements about intent, cohabitation, and holding out
to the public as married, which are the basic tenets of a common-law
marriage. SSA uses the information to determine if a valid marital
relationship exists, and if the common-law spouse is entitled to Social
Security spouse or widow(er) benefits. The respondents are third
parties who can confirm or deny the alleged common-law marriage.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
Number of Respondents: 40,000.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden per Response: 9 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 6,000 hours.
2. Railroad Employment Questionnaire--20CFR 404.1401, 404.1406-
404.1408 --0960-0078. Railroad workers, their dependents, or survivors
can concurrently apply for railroad retirement and Social Security
benefits at SSA whenever the number holder, or claimant on the number
holder's SSN, worked in the railroad industry. SSA uses the information
from Form SSA-671 to coordinate Social Security claims processing with
the Railroad Retirement Board and to determine benefit entitlement and
amount. The respondents are Social Security benefit applicants employed
by a railroad or dependents of railroad workers.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
Number of Respondents: 125,000.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden of Response: 5 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 10,417 hours.
3. Statement of Death by Funeral Director--20 CFR 404.715 and
404.720--0960-0142. When a Social Security-insured worker dies, the
funeral director or funeral home responsible for the worker's burial or
cremation completes Form SSA-721 and sends it to SSA. SSA uses this
information for three purposes: (1) To establish proof of death for the
insured worker; (2) to determine if the insured worker was receiving
any pre-death
[[Page 11836]]
benefits that SSA needs to terminate; and (3) to ascertain which
surviving family member is eligible for the lump-sum death payment or
other death benefits. The respondents are funeral directors who handle
funeral arrangements for the insured individuals.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
Number of Respondents: 319,811.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden per Response: 3.5 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 18,656 hours.
4. Government Pension Questionnaire--20 CFR 404.408a--0960-0160.
When someone is concurrently receiving spouse or surviving spousal
Social Security benefits and a government pension based on non-Social
Security earnings, SSA may reduce the benefit amount by two-thirds the
amount of the government pension under the Act's Government Pension
Offset (GPO) provision. We use Form SSA-3885, Government Pension
Questionnaire, to document such cases. SSA uses the information to
determine whether the GPO applies, to identify exceptions, and to
determine the benefit reduction amount and effective date. The
respondents are individuals and households.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
Number of Respondents: 76,000.
Frequency of Response: 1.
Average Burden per Response: 12.5 minutes.
Estimated Annual Burden: 15,833 hours.
5. Request for Hearing by Administrative Law Judge--20 CFR 404.929,
404.933, 416.1429, 404.1433, 405.722, 418.1350--0960-0269. When SSA
denies applicants' or beneficiaries' requests for new or continuing
benefits, those applicants or beneficiaries are entitled to request a
hearing to appeal the decision. SSA uses the information from Form HA-
501 to determine if the individual filed the request within the
prescribed time, is the proper party, and has taken the steps necessary
to obtain the right to a hearing. SSA also uses the information to
determine the individual's reason(s) for disagreeing with SSA's prior
determinations in the case; if the individual has additional evidence
to submit; if the individual wants an oral hearing or a decision on-
the-record; and whether the individual has (or wants to appoint) a
representative. The respondents are Social Security benefit applicants
and recipients who want to appeal SSA's denial of their request for new
or continued benefits and Medicare Part B recipients who must pay the
Medicare Part B Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
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Average burden Estimated
Collection method Number of Frequency of per response annual burden
respondents response (minutes) (hours)
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Paper & Modernized Claims System................ 334,735 1 10 55,789
i501............................................ 334,734 1 19 105,999
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Totals...................................... 669,469 .............. .............. 161,788
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6. Administrative Review Process for Adjudicating Initial
Disability Claims--20 CFR 404.949, 404.950, 404.957(a), 404.961,
404.982, 404.987-404.988, 404.1450, 404.1499, 416.1457(a), 416.1461,
416.1482, and 416.1487-416.1488--0960-0710. Claimants have a statutory
right under the Act and current regulations to apply for Social
Security disability insurance benefits or Supplemental Security Income
(SSI). SSA must collect information at each step of the administrative
process to adjudicate claims fairly and efficiently. SSA collects this
information to establish a claimant's right to administrative review
and the severity of the claimant's alleged impairments. SSA uses the
information to determine entitlement or continuing eligibility to
disability insurance benefits or SSI payments and to enable appeals of
these determinations. The respondents are applicants for title II
disability insurance benefits or title XVI SSI.
Type of Request: Revision of an OMB-approved information
collection.
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Average burden Estimated
20 CFR Section number Number of Frequency of per response annual burden
respondents response (minutes) (hours)
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404.961 and 416.1461............................ 12,220 1 20 4,073
404.950 and 404.1450............................ 1,040 1 20 347
404.949 and 404.1449............................ 2,888 1 60 2,888
404.957(a) and 416.1457(a)...................... 21,078 1 10 3,513
404.982 and 416.1482............................ 2,520 1 30 1,260
404.987-404.988 and 416.1487-416.1488........... 12,425 1 30 6,213
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Totals...................................... 52,171 .............. .............. 18,294
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[[Page 11837]]
Dated: February 28, 2011.
Faye Lipsky,
Reports Clearance Officer, Center for Reports Clearance, Social
Security Administration.
[FR Doc. 2011-4797 Filed 3-2-11; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4191-02-P