Supporting Statement for Form SSA-2010
Questionnaire About Special Veterans Benefits
OMB No. 0960-NEW
A. Justification
Introduction/Authoring Laws and Regulations
Title VIII of the Social Security Act (the Act) provides for the payment of Special Veterans benefits to certain World War II veterans who reside outside the United States. Section 203(c) of the Act requires the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) to make deductions from benefits of entitled individuals who engage in remunerative activity outside the United States (U.S.) in excess of set limits. Section 203(g) of the Act provides for the Commissioner to impose penalty deductions on benefits of individuals who fail to make timely reports of events that are cause for deductions. Section 205(a) of the Act empowers the Commissioner to make rules and regulations and determine an individual's continuing eligibility for benefits.
Description of Collection
SSA will collect information on Form SSA-2010 to review continuing benefit eligibility to Special Veterans benefits. We need this information to determine continuing entitlement to Social Security Special Veterans benefits (SVB) and the proper benefit amounts for beneficiaries living outside the U.S. SSA will distribute the form to all SVB beneficiaries in current pay status. Beneficiaries age 90 and above will complete Form SSA-2010 yearly, and those below age 90 will complete the form every other year to determine their continuing need for benefits and to make sure they continue to reside outside the United States. We may increase, decrease, suspend, or terminate benefits based on the data we collect. Therefore, it is possible that working could cause an adverse effect on the veteran’s benefit amount, as could information showing that a veteran lived in the United States for more than one full calendar month. The respondents are World War II veterans who reside outside the United States.
Use of Information Technology to Collect the Information
SSA did not create an electronic version of form SSA-2010 under the agency’s Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) plan because only 2,500 respondents complete the form. This is less than the GPEA cut-off of 50,000. However, we do allow beneficiaries to furnish the information via face-to-face or telephone interview in either a field-office or embassy. When we send the notification of the benefit review along with the SSA-2010, we encourage those beneficiaries age 90 and above to have a face-to-face interview, and inform beneficiaries under age 90 of their option either to use the paper form or have a personal interview.
Why We Cannot Use Duplicate Information
The nature of the information we are collecting and the manner in which we are collecting it preclude duplication. SSA does not use another collection instrument to obtain similar data.
Minimizing Burden on Small Respondents
This collection does not affect small businesses or other small entities.
Consequence of Not Collecting Information or Collecting it Less Frequently
If SSA were to collect this information less frequently, improper payments and overpayments would increase. There are no technical or legal obstacles that prevent SSA from contacting this population for entitlement information.
Special Circumstances
There are no special circumstances that would cause SSA to conduct this information collection in a manner inconsistent with 5 CFR 1320.5.
Solicitation of Public Comment and Other Consultations with the Public
The 60-day advance Federal Register Notice published on May 20, 2009, at 74 FR 23764, and SSA received no public comments. The second Notice published on August 2, 2010, at 75 FR 45190. There have been no outside consultations with members of the public.
Payment or Gifts to Respondents
SSA does not provide payments or gifts to the respondents.
Assurances of Confidentiality
SSA protects and holds confidential the information it collects in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 1306, 20 CFR 401 and 402, 5 U.S.C. 552 (Freedom of Information Act), 5 U.S.C. 552a (Privacy Act of 1974), and OMB Circular No. A-130.
Justification for Sensitive Questions
The information collection does not contain any questions of a sensitive nature.
Estimates of Public Reporting Burden
Approximately 2,500 respondents will use form SSA- 2010 annually. The estimated average time is 20 minutes for a total of 833 hours. This figure represents burden hours, and we did not calculate a separate cost burden.
Annual Cost to the Respondents (Other)
This collection does not impose a known cost burden to the respondents.
Annual Cost To Federal Government
The annual cost to the Federal Government is approximately $23,100.00. This estimate is a projection of the costs for printing and distributing the collection instrument.
Program Changes or Adjustments to the Information Collection Request
This new information collection increases the public reporting burden. See question #12 above for burden figures.
Plans for Publication Information Collection Results
SSA will not publish the results of the information collection.
Displaying the OMB Approval Expiration Date
OMB granted SSA an exemption from the requirement to print the OMB expiration date on its program forms. SSA produces millions of public-use forms with life cycles exceeding those of an OMB approval. Since SSA does not periodically revise and reprint its public-use forms (e.g., on an annual basis), OMB granted this exemption so SSA would not have to destroy stocks of otherwise useable forms with expired OMB approval dates, avoiding Government waste.
Exceptions to Certification Statement
SSA is not requesting an exception to the certification requirements at 5 CFR 1320.9 and related provisions at 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods
SSA will not use statistical methods for this information collection.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | Supporting Statement for Form SSA- |
| Author | Benjamin Franco |
| Last Modified By | 889123 |
| File Modified | 2010-08-04 |
| File Created | 2010-08-04 |