Authorization for the Social Security Administration to Obtain Wage and Employment Information from Payroll Data Providers
Revision of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
10/06/2023
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
12/31/2023
995,400
4,110,786
422,553
147,026
0
0
Section 824 of the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2015, Public Law 114-74, authorizes SSA to enter into information exchanges with payroll data providers for the purposes of improving program administration and preventing improper payments in the SSDI and SSI programs. SSA uses Form SSA-8240, Authorization for the Social Security Administration to Obtain Wage and Employment Information from Payroll Data Providers, to secure the authorization needed from the relevant members of the public to obtain their wage and employment information from payroll data providers. Ultimately, SSA uses this wage and employment information to help determine program eligibility and payment amounts. The public can complete Form SSA-8240 using the following modalities: a paper form; the Internet; and an in-office or telephone interview, during which an SSA employee documents the wage and employment information authorization information on one of SSAâs internal systems (the Modernized Claims System (MCS); the SSI Claims System; eWork; or iMain). The individualâs authorization will remain effective until one of the following four events occurs: (1) SSA makes a final adverse decision on the application for benefits, and the applicant has filed no other claims or appeals under the Title for which SSA
obtained the authorization; (2) the individualâs eligibility for payments ends, and the individual has not filed other claims or appeals under the Title for which SSA obtained the authorization; (3) the individual revokes the authorization verbally or in writing; or (4) the deeming relationship ends (for SSI purposes only). SSA requests authorization on an as-needed basis as part of the following processes: (a) SSDI and SSI initial claims; (b) SSI redeterminations; and (c) SSDI Work Continuing Disability
Reviews. The respondents are individuals who file for, or are currently receiving, SSDI or SSI payments, and any person whose income and resources SSA counts when determining an individualâs SSI eligibility or payment amount.
When we last cleared this IC in 2020, the burden was 147,026 hours. However, we are currently reporting a burden of 62,270 hours. This decrease stems primarily from a correction to the number of responses. We believe our last renewal reflected inflated annual responses that reflected the total number of active authorization forms we had on file rather than the number of new forms completed each year. The current burden report reflects our best estimate of the number of responses based on management information data from fiscal year 2022 as well as an increase in the estimated time it takes to complete the collection. Although the number of responses changed, SSA did not take any actions to cause this change. We made the correction to the average burden per response per our current management information data; from public responses on how long it takes to gather information for this collection; and based on our estimate for the psychological costs and learning costs on the public. Although we expanded our use of the authorization collected in this form to non-automated contacts with payroll data providers, we do not believe the change in burden estimates is attributed to that additional use because those individuals affected by the change are already using the form to provide authorization, and we did not add new categories of applicants or beneficiaries.
Note: The total burden reflected in ROCIS is 178,400, while the burden cited in #12 of the Supporting Statement is 62,270. This discrepancy is because the ROCIS burden reflects the following components: field office waiting time + teleservice waiting time + learning costs. In contrast, the chart in #12 of the Supporting Statement reflects actual burden.
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.
Addendum - 0807.docx
Internet (BBA 824)