Ssa-7050 Ss 2007

SUPPORTING STATEMENT FOR

REQUESTS FOR SOCIAL SECURITY EARNINGS INFORMATION

20 CFR 404.810, 20 CFR 401.100

OMB No. 0960-0525

1. Justification

1. Disclosure of earnings information from the Social Security Administration (SSA) to a wage earner or an organization is authorized by the wage earner or a legal representative of the wage earner and is mandated by section 205(c)(2)(A) of the Social Security Act (the Act). 20 CFR 404.810 tells individuals what information is needed to obtain a statement of earnings and a benefit estimate statement. Also, see 20 CFR 401.100 regarding disclosure of official records and information.

2. SSA uses the information provided by the respondent on Form SSA-7050, or other written request, to verify that the wage earner is authorized to access the correct earnings record in order to produce the earnings statement and to credit payment when payment is made by credit card. Also, proof of death/relationship is required if the request is for earnings information from a deceased person’s record. Such proof must support that a legal relationship exists between the requester and the SSN holder, i.e., surviving spouse, legal representative, so that the requested information can be accessed and subsequently disclosed.

3. Improved information technology that would reduce the burden is not yet available. Form SSA-7050 requires an original signature which prohibits the form from being completed and submitted electronically. However, via the Internet, a field office can electronically obtain a blank form and have it printed for manual completion and signature affixation. Once completed, the form is sent to Social Security for processing.

4. The nature of the information being collected and the manner in which it is collected preclude duplication. There is no other collection instrument used by SSA that collects data similar to that collected here. If a second request (recognized by our system) is received while SSA is processing the first one, the two requests are combined.

5. This collection of information may involve small businesses or other small entities. However, the information requested is restricted only to what is necessary by law and regulation to identify the information requested, to authorize the signature, and to process a credit card payment. This information collection will not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities.

6. Data requests are generated by the requestor. Most of the requests only occur once. Therefore, this information collection cannot be conducted less frequently. The consequence of not collecting the information is that an earnings statement will not be produced and the requester’s right to obtain such information will be denied which would violate the above mandate. There are no technical or legal obstacles that prevent burden reduction.

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

8. The 60-day advance Federal Register Notice was published on November 5, 2007, at 72 FR 62510, and SSA received no public comments. The second notice was published on January 7, 2008, at 73 FR 1253, and SSA received no public comments.

9. SSA provides no payment or gifts to the respondents

10. The information provided on this form is protected and held confidential in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 1306, 20 CFR 401 and 422, 5 U.S.C. 552 (Freedom of Information Act), 5 U.S.C. 552a (Privacy Act of 1974) and OMB Circular No. A‑130

11. This information collection does not involve any questions of a sensitive nature.

12. Form SSA-7050-F4 is used by 60,000 respondents annually. The estimated time is 11 minutes, for a total of 11,000 burden hours. The total burden is reflected as burden hours.

13. There is no known cost burden to the respondents.

14. Using SSA’s standard cost formula the annual cost to the Federal Government is $184,800. This estimate is a projection of the costs for printing and distributing the form and collecting the information.

15. There have been no program changes for this form. The annual reporting burden has been adjusted because a decrease in the number of individuals requesting earnings information.

16. The results of the information collection will not be published.

17. OMB has granted SSA an exemption from the requirement that the expiration date for OMB approval be printed on its program forms. SSA produces millions of public-use forms, many of which have a life cycle longer than that of an OMB clearance. SSA does not periodically revise and reprint its public-use forms, (e.g., on an annual basis). This exemption was granted so that otherwise useable editions of forms would not be taken out of circulation because the expiration date had been reached. In addition, government waste has been avoided because stocks of forms will not have to be destroyed and reprinted.

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

2. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods

Statistical methods are not used for this information collection.

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