Nonsubstantive Change

Justification for Non-Substantive Change for FORMS SS-5, SS-5-FS

APPLICATION FOR A SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER CARD (U.S. RESIDENTS, U.S. CITIZENS LIVING OUTSIDE THE U.S.)

20 CFR 422.103 -.110

OMB No. 0960-0066

Revision to the Collection Instrument

SS-5, SS-5-FS Page 3:

The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses the information collected by forms SS-5 and SS-5-FS to assign new and replacement SSN cards. Applicants outside the United States complete the form SS-5-FS. The questions on the form SS-5 and SS-5-FS are the same. However, there are some differences in the instructions to accommodate applicants outside the United States.

Change 1: We are changing the language in the instructions for 9.B., 10.B.

• Old Language: 9. B., 10.B. If you are applying for an original Social Security Card for a child under age 18, you MUST show the mother's and father's Social Security numbers unless the mother and/or father was never assigned a Social Security number. If the number is not known and you cannot obtain it, check the “unknown” box.

New Language: If you are applying for an original Social Security Card for a child under age 18, you MUST show the parents Social Security numbers unless the parent was never assigned a Social Security number. If the number is not known and you cannot obtain it, check the “unknown” box.

Justification 1: We are making the change to accommodate applications for children with parents of the same sex.

SS-5, SS-5-FS Page 5

Change 2: We are changing the language for Question 9.A

• Old Language: Mother’s Name at Her Birth

New Language: Parent/Mother’s Name at Her Birth

Justification 2: We are making the change to accommodate applications for children with parents of the same sex.

Change 3: We are changing the language for Question 9.B

• Old Language: Mother’s Social Security Number

New Language: Parent/Mother’s Social Security Number

Justification 3: We are making the change to accommodate applications for children with parents of the same sex.

Change 4: We are changing the language for Question 10.A.

• Old Language: Father’s Name

New Language: Parent/Father’s Name

Justification 4: We are making the change to accommodate applications for children with parents of the same sex.

Change 5: We are changing the language in question 10.B

• Old Language: Father’s Social Security Number

New Language: Parent/Father’s Social Security Number

Justification 5: We are making the change to accommodate applications for children with parents of the same sex.

SSNAP Screens

SSNAP is a system in which SSA enters the data from forms SS-5 or SS-5-FS in standardized fields for issuing original or replacement SSN cards. The data collection corresponds to the questions on the paper applications. Applicants who visit an SSA office in person may complete their application in an interview situation without completing a paper SS-5/SS-5-FS. An additional screen contains information that is not on form SS-5/SS-5-FS for situations when an applicant is filing for a new SSN and is age 12 or older. This screen is a tool for FOs to use in order to determine if the applicant already has an SSN.

Applicants who visit an SSA office in person receive a printed copy of their application showing the information entered into SSNAP. They must attest to the accuracy of that information and SSA documents the applicant’s attestation on the “Verify and Sign” screen. When SSA enters information into SSNAP from a paper application and the applicant is not in the office, SSA electronically witnesses the signature on the “Verify and Sign” screen and destroys the paper application.

Change 6: We are removing the reference to U.S. citizens from the screen instructions, on the 12 or Older Interview Questions section and adding U.S. in each question.

• Old Language: This Screen pertains to U.S. citizens, age 12 or older, applying for a Social Security Number for the first time. Please ask questions similar to the following:

Note: This list is not all inclusive. Depending on the situation, ask additional questions based on the individual circumstances to determine if an SSN has already been assigned or another identity has been used.

New Language: This screen pertains to individuals, age 12 or older, applying for a Social Security Number for the first time. Please ask questions similar to the following:

Note: This list is not all inclusive. Depending on the situation, ask additional questions based on the individual circumstances to determine if an SSN has already been assigned or another identity has been used. (For additional information, see RM 10205.110)

Old Language:

Held a full-time, part-time or temporary job or registered with an Yes NO

employment service?

Had a driver’s license? Yes NO

Taken the Scholastic Achievement Test or other college Yes NO

entrance exam?

Attended or applied for admittance to a college, university or Yes NO

technical/vocational school?

Had an account with a bank, credit union , or other financial institution? Yes NO

Filed a state or federal income tax return or been claimed as a dependent Yes NO

on a federal tax return?

Registered for the draft or registered to vote? Yes NO

Applied for any type of public assistance, medical aid, public job training

or summer youth employment? Yes NO

Lived outside the U.S. for a prolonged period of time? Yes NO

New Language:

Held a full-time, part-time or temporary job or registered in the U.S.? Yes NO

Had a U.S. State-issued identification card or driver’s license? Yes NO

Taken the Scholastic Achievement Test or any other U.S. college-related

entrance exam? Yes NO

Attended or applied for admittance to a U.S. college, university or Yes NO

technical/vocational school?

Had an U.S. savings or checking account in a bank, credit union, or

other financial institution? Yes NO

Filed a U.S. Federal or State federal income tax return or been claimed as

a dependent on a U.S. Federal tax return of a parent or other relative? Yes NO

Registered for the U.S. draft or to vote in the U.S.? Yes NO

Applied for or received any of U.S. governmental assistance such as

TANF, Food Stamps, WIC, Medicaid, medical assistance, public training

or summer youth employment? Yes NO

Lived outside the U.S. for a prolonged period of time? Yes NO

Justification 6: We specifically want to know if any of these events took place in the U.S., to discover whether the applicant already has a SSN, and to avoid assigning a second SSN to the same person.

Change 7: We are adding a new section under the 12 or Older Interview Questions. The section is Non U.S. Citizen 12 or Older Interview Question.

Justification 7: - Many age 12 or older applicants for original SSNs are non-citizen, temporary workers in the U.S. and it is not appropriate to require these applicants to prove the time they lived outside the U.S. Therefore, we have added a new question for non-citizens only and put the emphasis on whether they have ever been in the U.S., rather than the time they spent outside the U.S.

Change 8: We are adding Parent/Mother’s name unknown check box to the seventh section of the Additional Information page.

Justification 8: We are making the change to accommodate applications for children with parents of the same sex.

Change 9: We are changing the language in the seventh section of the Additional Information page

• Old Language: “Mother’s Name at Her Birth

New Language: Parent/Mother’s Name at Her Birth

• Old Language: Mother’s SSN”

New Language: Parent/Mother’s SSN.

• Old Language: Father’s Name

New Language: Parent/Father’s Name

• Old Language: Father’s SSN

New Language: Parent/Father’s SSN

Change 10: We are changing the introductory paragraph on the Voluntary Race and Ethnicity Identification page.

• Old Language: To ensure that all of our customers are treated fairly, we are requesting information about your race and ethnicity. Providing this information is voluntary, and it will not affect decisions about your application. The information is being requested for research and statistical purposes only. The categories and definitions below are the same as those used by other Federal agencies. The information will be kept private and used for authorized Federal agency reporting purposes.

New Language: To ensure that all of our customers are treated fairly, we are requesting information about your/his/her race and ethnicity. Providing this information is voluntary, and it will not affect decisions about your/his/her application. The information is being requested for research and statistical purposes only. The categories and definitions below are the same as those used by other Federal agencies. The information will be kept private and used for authorized Federal agency reporting purposes.

Justification 10: To recognize the applicant is not always the number holder.

New Online Social Security Number (SSN) Decision Tree

We are currently working on an SSN Decision Tree planned for release on SSA’s web site within the next year. The Decision Tree is an interactive Internet tool the public may use to find out which documents they need to show SSA when they apply for an original or replacement SSN card, or when they want to make a change to information in SSA's enumeration records. The Decision Tree will guide users through a series of multiple-choice questions. Based on the responses received, the Decision Tree is able to provide a customized list of documents.

The Decision Tree will not collect any personally identifiable information, will not save the user's responses, and will not check any SSA master files. Using the Decision Tree is voluntary and for informational purposes only.

A chart is attached showing the list of possible questions that users can be asked (this is not a screen facsimile). After the first question, subsequent questions display dynamically, based on the answer to the previous question(s). The question numbers range from 1 to 22, but there are only 18 questions. This is because we dropped some of the original questions, along with the numbers assigned to them. The numbers are for systems programming use only and will not display to the user. The list also includes instructions showing which question the program will ask next based on the response to the previous question(s). This information will also be invisible to the user.