Supporting Statement - 0116

Supporting Statement for Form SSA-2519

Child Relationship Statement

20 CFR 404.355 & 404.731

OMB No. 0960-0116

A. Justification

1. Introduction/Authoring Laws and Regulations

Section 216(h)(3) of the Social Security Act (Act) provides the Social Security Administration (SSA) the criteria to use to determine entitlement of children to Social Security benefits under the deemed child provision. 20 CFR 404.355 and 404.731 of the Code of Federal Regulations gives SSA the authority to collect this information.

2. Description of Collection

SSA uses Form SSA-2519 to collect the information necessary to determine whether children meet the entitlement requirements for Social Security benefits under the deemed child provision of the Act. SSA may deem a child to an insured individual if: (1) the insured individual presents SSA with satisfactory evidence of parenthood, and was living with, or contributing to, the child’s support at certain specified times; or (2) the insured individual (a) acknowledged the child in writing; (b) was court decreed as the child’s parent; or (c) was court ordered to support the child. SSA collects this information through in-person interviews; over the phone; or through paper Form SSA-2519. The respondents are people with knowledge of the relationship between certain individuals filing for Social Security benefits and their alleged biological children.

2. Use of Information Technology to Collect the Information

SSA did not create an electronic version of Form SSA-2519 under the agency’s Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) plan because the number of respondents for this collection is at the 50,000 respondent threshold for electronic implementation.

2. Why We Cannot Use Duplicate Information

The nature of the information we collect and the manner in which we collect it precludes duplication. SSA does not use another collection instrument to obtain similar data.

2. Minimizing Burden on Small Respondents

This collection does not affect small businesses or other small entities.

2. Consequence of Not Collecting Information or Collecting it Less Frequently

If we did not collect this information, we may deny possible entitlement to a child under the deemed child provision of the Act. Because we collect this information on an as needed basis, we cannot collect it less frequently. There are no technical or legal obstacles to burden reduction.

2. Special Circumstances

There are no special circumstances that would cause SSA to conduct this information collection in a manner inconsistent with 5 CFR 1320.5.

2. Solicitation of Public Comment and Other Consultations with the Public

The 60-day advance Federal Register Notice published on November 9, 2018, at

83 FR 56133, and we received no public comments. The 30-day FRN published on January 25, 2019 at 84 FR 371. If we receive any comments in response to this Notice, we will forward them to OMB.

2. Payment or Gifts to Respondents

SSA does not provide payments or gifts to the respondents.

2. Assurances of Confidentiality

SSA protects and holds confidential the information it collects 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.

2. Justification for Sensitive Questions

The information collection does not contain any questions of a sensitive nature.

2. Estimates of Public Reporting Burden

Modality of Completion	Number of Respondents	Frequency of Response	Average Burden Per Response (minutes)	Estimated Total Annual Burden (hours)
SSA-2519	50,000	1	15	12,500

The total burden for this ICR is 12,500 hours. We based this figure on current management information data. This figure represents burden hours, and we did not calculate a separate cost burden.

2. Annual Cost to the Respondents (Other)

This collection does not impose a known cost burden on the respondents.

2. Annual Cost to Federal Government

The annual cost to the Federal Government is approximately $77,000. This estimate accounts for costs from the following areas: (1) designing, printing, and distributing the form; and (2) SSA employee (e.g., field office, 800 number, DDS staff) information collection and processing time.

2. Program Changes or Adjustments to the Information Collection Request

There are no changes to the public reporting burden.

2. Plans for Publication Information Collection Results

SSA will not publish the results of the information collection.

2. Displaying the OMB Approval Expiration Date

OMB granted SSA an exemption from the requirement to print the OMB expiration date on its program forms. SSA produces millions of public-use forms with life cycles exceeding those of an OMB approval. Since 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 useable forms with expired OMB approval dates, avoiding Government waste.

2. Exceptions to Certification Statement

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

 

B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

SSA does not use statistical methods for this information collection.