BEVE/POI Letter Focus Group Description

DOCUMENTATION FOR THE GENERIC CLEARANCE

OF CUSTOMER SATISFACTION SURVEYS

TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: Online Benefit Verification/Proof of Income (BEVE/POI) Letter – Focus Group

SSA SUB-NUMBER: A-02

DESCRIPTION OF ACTIVITY: (give purpose of activity, provide specific information; i.e., date(s) of survey, number of focus groups, locations, etc.):

BACKGROUND

In an effort to improve existing online services to the public, SSA is committed to enhancing the web application that fully automates the online Benefit Verification/Proof of Income (BEVE/POI) letter. These enhancements will allow Social Security beneficiaries and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients immediate online viewing, printing, saving, and mailing options of their BEVE/POI letter.

The development of a secure authentication process is crucial for a fully automated benefit verification request. The online BEVE application will automate the process of providing benefit and payment verification letters online to beneficiaries and SSI recipients. It will reduce National 800 Number call volumes, and calls and walk-in traffic to field offices. Specifically, the enhancements will provide beneficiaries and SSI recipients:

• Instant access to their BEVE/POI letter;

• Ability to print and/or electronically save their BEVE/POI letter;

• Ability to access their BEVE/POI letter, despite having recently changed their address (i.e. within 30 days).

The current BEVE internet application only allows beneficiaries and SSI recipients to request the verification letter using the Knowledge Based Authentication process. Beneficiaries and recipients then receive the letter in the mail via United States Postal Service within 7 to 10 business days from the time of the request.

Description

SSA would like to assess the experiences of claimants who used this enhanced application. For this particular research project, we will elicit input from the public via focus groups and electronic bulletin boards (EBB). In particular, we wish to determine:

• Will users of this enhanced application utilize the “Save” feature, i.e. will users “save” and then do something with the saved letter, such as email it as an attachment to a third party? Alternatively, will users only print the letter?

• Will users access the BEVE/POI letter, even if there has been a recent address change, and a display alert informs them of a possible address discrepancy? Will users:

• Understand the implications;

• Be confused;

• Abandon the application; or

• Continue past the alert and request their BEVE/POI letter?

• When users are asked to choose the information they want verified in their letter, will they be able to identify what they need from the list of choices, or will they be confused and “select all?” Users are given the following verification information options to choose from:

• Amount of benefit

• Type of benefit (disability, retirement, survivors)

• Medicare entitlement

• Date of birth

Participant Selection Criterion

We will recruit the participants for the focus groups via a contractor. The participant selection criterion for this research is as follows:

• Beneficiaries and SSI recipients; and/or

• Beneficiaries and SSI recipients who recently requested a BEVE/POI letter.

Research Methodology

• Six In-Person Focus Groups – 60 participants

We will compile the results from the focus groups and prepare a written report that we will post on our Intranet site at: http://ssahost.ba.ssa.gov/pip.

See attached copy of the proposed Focus Group Discussion Guide Questions

IF FOCUS GROUP PARTICIPANTS WILL RECEIVE A PAYMENT, INDICATE AMOUNT: Payment amount will not exceed $75.

USE OF FOCUS GROUP RESULTS:

SSA will use the results of these focus groups and bulletin boards to assess the level of understanding users have with the enhanced BEVE application, as well as their level of ease navigating information on the web application. The findings will also help SSA improve its online services to the public.

BURDEN HOUR COMPUTATION (Number of responses (X) estimated response time

(/60) = annual burden hours):

Number of Respondents: 60.

Estimated Response Time: 120 minutes.

Annual Burden Hours: 120 hours.

NAME OF CONTACT PERSON: Deb Larwood.

PHONE NUMBER: 410-966-6135.