Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Request and 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 revisions and one extension 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, 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: 202-395-6974, Email address: OIRA_Submission@omb.eop.gov.

(SSA)

Social Security Administration, OLCA, Attn: Reports Clearance Director, 3100 West High Rise, 6401 Security Blvd., Baltimore, MD 21235, Fax: 410-966-2830, Email address: OR.Reports.Clearance@ssa.gov.

Or you may submit your comments online through www.regulations.gov,, referencing Docket ID Number [SSA-2016-0020].

I. The information collection below is pending at SSA. SSA will submit it 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 August 1, 2016. Individuals can obtain copies of the collection instrument by writing to the above email address.

Application Status—20 CFR 401.45—0960-0763. Application Status provides users with the capability to check the status of their pending Social Security claims via the National 800 Number Automated Telephone Service. Users need their Social Security number and a confirmation number to access this information. SSA's systems determine the type of claim(s) the caller filed based upon the information they provide. Subsequently, the automated telephone system provides callers with the option to choose the claim for which they wish to obtain status. If the caller applied for multiple claims, the automated system allows the caller to select only one claim at a time. Once callers select the claim(s) they are calling about, an automated voice advises them of the status of their claim. The respondents are current Social Security claimants who wish to check on the status of their claims.

II. SSA submitted the information collections below to OMB for clearance. Your comments regarding the information collections 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 June 30, 2016. Individuals can obtain copies of the OMB clearance packages by writing to OR.Reports.Clearance@ssa.gov.

1. Beneficiary Recontact Report—20 CFR 404.703, 404.705—0960-0502. SSA investigates recipients of disability payments to determine their continuing eligibility for payments. Research indicates recipients may fail to report circumstances that affect their eligibility. Two such cases are: (1) when parents receiving disability benefits for their child marry; and (2) the removal of an entitled child from parents' care. SSA uses Form SSA-1588-SM to ask mothers or fathers about both their marital status and children under their care, to detect overpayments and avoid continuing payment to those who are no longer entitled. Respondents are recipients of mothers' or fathers' Social Security benefits.

2. Technical Updates to Applicability of the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Reduced Benefit Rate for Individuals Residing in Medical Treatment Facilities—20 CFR 416.708(k)—0960-0758. Section 1611(e)(1)(A) of the Social Security Act states residents of public institutions are ineligible for SSI. However, Sections 1611(e)(1)(B) and (G) list certain exceptions to this provision, making it necessary for SSA to collect information about SSI recipients who enter or leave a medical treatment facility or other public or private institution. SSA's regulation 20 CFR 416.708(k) establishes the reporting guidelines for implementing this legislative requirement. SSA collects the information to determine eligibility for SSI and the payment amount. The respondents are SSI recipients who enter or leave an institution.