20 CFR 404.2035 and 416.635
A. Justification
The Office of Inspector General (OIG) for the Social Security Administration (SSA) needs to collect information from Supplemental Security Income recipients and Old-Age, Survivors and Disability Insurance beneficiaries who have a representative payee. The information is necessary to augment other data for the purpose of determining whether representative payees are complying with their duties under 20 CFR 404.2035 and 416.635.
The authority to collect the information is found in Sections 205 (j) (3) (A) and1631 (a) (2) (C) (i) of the Social Security Act.
The representative payees are randomly selected by OIG or the SSA’s Regional Office request an audit, due to misuse of the beneficiary’s funds. After being selected the representative payee is contacted by phone to set up the time and date to interview the beneficiary (interviewee). Prior to the start of the interview, the auditor (interviewer) will read and show the interviewee the Privacy Act and Paperwork Reduction Act Statements. The information will be gathered by OIG staff interviewing recipients\beneficiaries. The same questions will be asked of each interviewee. The information will be used to determine whether representative payees are complying with their duties.
The collection of this information will be obtained through oral interviews, and will not involve the use of automated technology. In-person interviews must be conducted along with overall observations by the interviewer. Therefore, the use of electronic forms via the Internet, etc. will not meet the needs of the interviewer.
Similar information is not obtained by either SSA or OIG.
The collection of information does not impact small businesses or other small entities.
The consequences of not conducting these interviews are that SSA would have no means to confirm that representative payees are complying with their duties and responsibilities. Therefore, this information collection could not be conducted less frequently. There are no technical or legal obstacles to prevent burden reduction.
There are no special circumstances that would cause this information collection to be conducted in a manner inconsistent with 5 CFR 1320.5.
The first Federal Register notice was published on March 15, 2007 at 72 FR 12244. The 60-day advance Federal Register Notice has not been published at the time of preparing this justification on May 9, 2007 at 72 FR 26443. In addition, consultations with persons outside the agency to obtain their views on the subject information collection were not sought.
SSA provides no payment or gifts to the respondents.
The information provided is protected and held confidential in accordance with 42 U. S. C. 1306, 20 CFR 401 and 402, 5 U. S. C. 552 (Freedom of Information Act), 5 U.S. C. 552a (Privacy Act of 1974) and OMB Circular No. A-130.
The information collection does not contain any questions of a sensitive nature.
Approximately 200 respondents from the Individual/Household category will use the Beneficiary Interview and Auditor’s Observations form annually. The average burden time is estimated to be 15 minutes. This results in a total of 50 burden hours. The total burden is reflected as burden hours. No separate cost burden has been calculated.
There is no known cost burden to the respondents.
Using SSA’s standard cost formula the annual cost to the Federal Government is $3,080. This estimate is a projection of printing and distribution cost for the form.
There has been no increase in the public reporting burden.
The results of the information collected will not be published.
We are not requesting an exception to the requirement to display an expiration date.
SSA is not requesting an exception to the certification requirements at 5CFR 1320.9 and related provisions at 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods
Statistical methods are not used for this information collection.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT |
| Author | OIG |
| Last Modified By | Davidson, Liz |
| File Modified | 2007-08-14 |
| File Created | 2007-08-14 |