Information collected with this form is used to evaluate the financial profile of OWCP beneficiaries who have been overpaid benefits, and their ability to repay. OWCP beneficiaries are typically retired coal miners disabled by black lung disease, Federal employees injured on the job, and their survivors.
US Code:
42 USC 7385j-2
Name of Law: Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act
US Code:
5 USC 8129(b)
Name of Law: Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act
US Code:
5 USC 923(b)
Name of Law: Federal Coal Mine Health and Safety Act of 1969
There was no change to the burden hours to the Black Lung (BL) related to instances where benefits checks were issued after a beneficiary's death and prior to receipt of notification of the death by the BL program. Under new Treasury procedures with post mortem overpayments, repayment of the debt is not the burden of the person that received a descendant's benefits. The burden is on the bank that improperly failed to close the account and paid out the money. Rather than using the OWCP-20 form that a claimant debtor would complete, these overpayments are recovered by using a protected need-to-know Department of the Treasury Web site service to collect from the liable bank. This service is currently called by Treasury PACER for Payment and Claims Enhanced Reconciliation and is commonly referred to as POL for PACER-On-Line. There has been no change in the annual responses.
FOR DFEC. The number of newly identifiable overpayments has decreased over the last few years. Consequently, reduction in burden hours and costs associated with the requirement to complete this form has been reduced. DFEC attributes these reductions in part due to claimants and employing agencies reporting return to work promptly to DFEC. Additionally, the reduction is also due to DFEC staff, employing agencies, and claimants more promptly identifying and/or reporting changes in dependency which affects the entitled compensation rate. Presently, if a claimant has dependents, their FECA benefits to compensation are based on 3/4 of their weekly pay. However, if they have no dependents (as a result of divorce, death, no eligible children), the entitlement is reduced to two-thirds.
While not affecting the burden, this ICR has been characterized as a revision because the agency has reformatted elements of Forms (e.g., replaced an obsolete logo with the DOL Seal, OMB Control Number, and removed references to the no longer existent Employment Standards Administration). Upon OMB's clearance of this request OWCP will update the forms to show the new expiration date.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Form OWCP-20 Overpayment Recovery Questionnaire
1240-0051 (OWCP-20) 2012.docx
FECARegulationsSec8129.pdf
FECAoverpaymentregs.doc
Overpayment Recovery Questionnaire