Supporting_Statement_0471

Supporting Statement for

Real Property Current Market Value Estimate

Form SSA-L2794

OMB No. 0960-0471

A. Justification

1. Introduction/Authoring Laws and Regulations - The Social Security Administration (SSA) considers a person’s resources when evaluating their eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. The value of an individual’s resources, including non-home real property, is one of the eligibility requirements for SSI payments. Section 1611(B) of the Social Security Act (the Act) discusses the limits on resources for SSI recipients and applicants, and Section 1631(e)(1)(B) requires SSA obtain proof, as necessary, to assure that we pay benefits to eligible individuals only. SSA uses Form SSA-L2794 to collect information about the value of certain types of resources owned by SSI recipients and applicants. SSA contacts independent and collateral sources to obtain an estimate on the value of such resources. The respondents are small business operators in real estate, state and local employees, and other individuals who are knowledgeable about local real estate values.

2. Description of the Collection - SSA uses the information obtained on Form SSA-L2794 to determine whether individuals meet the resource requirements for eligibility for the SSI program. We use the form in initial SSI applications and in post-entitlement situations. The respondents answer voluntarily. There is no obligation to provide responses. The respondent may complete the form with information readily available or we can accept a best estimate. SSA will request this information from an outside source only if the SSI applicant or recipient cannot provide a valid third party, knowledgeable- source estimate. The SSA employee fills out the form and sends it to the respondent for completion.

3. Use of Information Technology to Collect the Information – SSA will not be implementing an electronic version of the form under the agency’s Government Paperwork Elimination Act plan. Improved information technology that reduces the burden on respondents is not available. However, SSA is utilizing Internet-based sources available to the public for determining the market value of real property. As more states and counties upload real property information online for public use, SSA may be able to collect more of this information electronically, thereby reducing the public burden.

4. Why We Cannot Use Duplicate Information - The nature of the information we are collecting and the manner in which we are collecting it preclude duplication. SSA does not use another collection instrument to obtain similar data.

5. Minimizing Burden on Small Respondents - This collection does not significantly affect small businesses or other small entities. As stated earlier, the agency uses every other information source first before requesting information from small businesses.

6. Consequence of Not Collecting Information or Collecting it Less Frequently - SSA collects the requested information only when we must verify an SSI applicant or recipient's allegation of property value and the property's tax assessed value to determine eligibility for SSI payments. Additionally, SSA only requests this information when the applicant for, or recipient of SSI, cannot provide a third party knowledgeable-source estimate. If we did not obtain such information when needed, it would prevent us from making accurate determinations of eligibility as required by the statute. If we collected the information less frequently, it could create the risk of incorrect SSI eligibility determinations and incorrect SSI payment amounts. Therefore, we cannot collect this information less frequently. There are no technical or legal obstacles to burden reduction.

7. Special Circumstances - There are no special circumstances that would cause SSA to collect this information in a manner inconsistent with 5 CFR 1320.5.

8. Solicitation of Public Comment and Other Consultations with the Public -

SSA published the 60-day advance Federal Register Notice on March 30, 2010 at 75 FR 15762, and we received no public comments. We published the 30-day Federal Register Notice on June 2, 2010 at 75 FR 30897. If we receive any comments in response to the 30-day Notice, we will forward them to OMB. SSA has had no outside consultations with members of the public.

9. Payment of Gifts to Respondents - SSA does not provide payments or gifts to the respondents.

10. Assurances of Confidentiality - SSA protects and holds confidential the information from this collection 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.

11. Justification for Sensitive Questions - The information collection does not contain any questions of a sensitive nature.

12. Estimates of Public Reporting Burden – Approximately 5,438 use Form SSA-L2794 annually. The estimated response time is 20 minutes for a total of 1,813 burden hours. The total burden reflects burden hours, and we did not calculate a separate cost burden.

13. Annual Cost to the Respondents - This collection does not impose a known cost burden to the respondents.

14. Annual Cost to the Federal Government - The annual cost to the Federal Government is approximately $8,375. This estimate is a projection of printing and distribution the collection instrument and for processing the information.

15. Program Changes or Adjustments to the Information Collection Request - There are no changes to the public reporting burden.

16. Plans for Publication Information Collection Results - SSA will not publish the results of the information collection.

17. Displaying the OMB Approval Expiration Date - OMB granted SSA an exemption from the requirement to print the OMB expiration date for OMB on its program forms. SSA produces millions of public-use forms with a life cycle exceeding those of an OMB approval. SSA does not periodically revise and reprint its public-use forms (e.g., on an annual basis), OMB granted this exemption so SSA would not have to destroy stocks of otherwise usable forms with expired OMB approval dates, avoiding Government waste.

18. Exemption to Certification Statement - SSA is not requesting an exception to the certification requirements at 5 CFR 1320.9 and related provisions at CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

SSA does not use statistical methods for this information collection.

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