Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Student Beneficiary Report-Restored Entitlement Program for Survivors (REPS)

AGENCY:

Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs.

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, this notice announces that the Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, will submit the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden and it includes the actual data collection instrument.

DATES:

Written comments and recommendations for the proposed information collection should be sent within 30 days of publication of this notice to www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain. Find this particular information collection by selecting “Currently under 30-day Review—Open for Public Comments” or by using the search function. Refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0399”.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Maribel Aponte, Office of Enterprise and Integration, Data Governance Analytics (008), 1717 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20006, (202) 266-4688 or email maribel.aponte@va.gov. Please refer to “OMB Control No. 2900-0399” in any correspondence.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Authority: 38 U.S.C. 5101; 38 CFR 3.812.

Title: Student Beneficiary Report—Restored Entitlement Program for Survivors (REPS) (VA Form 21P-8938-1).

OMB Control Number: 2900-0399.

Type of Review: Reinstatement with change of a previously approved collection.

Abstract: A claimant's eligibility for needs-based pension programs are determined in part by countable family income and certain deductible expenses. Restored Entitlement Program for Survivors (REPS) is a benefit payable to certain surviving spouses and dependent children of deceased Veterans who died in service prior to August 13, 1981 or died as a result of a service-connected disability incurred or aggravated prior to August 13, 1981. In these situations, VBA uses VA Form 21P-8938-1 Student Beneficiary Report—Restored Entitlement Program for Survivors (REPS), to verify beneficiaries receiving REPS benefits based on school-aged child status, are in fact enrolled full-time in an approved school and are otherwise eligible for continue benefits under REPS. Without this information, determination of eligibility would not be possible. Previously, this collection consisted of two forms: VA Form 21P-8938 and VA Form 21P-8938-1. Currently, the only form used is VA Form 21P-8938-1, therefore the burden has decreased.

An agency may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. The Federal Register Notice with a 60-day comment period soliciting comments on this collection of information was published at 86 FR 124 on July 1, 2021, pages 35154.

Affected Public: Individuals or Households.

Estimated Annual Burden: 300 hours.

Estimated Average Burden per Respondent: 15 minutes.

Frequency of Response: Annually.

Estimated Number of Respondents: 1,200.