Disability Case Development Information Collections

Information Collections Conducted

by State Disability Determination Services on Behalf of SSA

OMB No. 0960-0555

Justification for Non-Substantive Changes to the Collection

Background

Generally, the state DDSs make disability determinations for the Social Security Administration (SSA) and use this information to gather evidence for the determination. Currently, the state DDSs make 98 percent of SSA’s initial disability determinations and obtain assistance from SSA’s Federal adjudicating units for about 2 percent of the disability determinations. The temporary transfer provision at 20 CFR 404.1613(c) of the Code of Federal Regulations allows the state DDSs to request temporary assistance, or a pass-back of disability cases to SSA. This allows the state DDSs flexibility to reduce backlogs and manage workloads.

Non-Substantive Changes

SSA would like to expand the scope of this information collection authority to cover information collection activities conducted by SSA’s Federal adjudicating units. The information collections are the same as the information collections approved for state DDSs.

SSA would also like to revise the title of the information collection to reflect the expanded scope: Disability Case Development Information Collections.

Burden

This change will not affect the ICR burden. The established burden reflects the SSA program-wide disability caseload.

Justification

State DDSs and SSA’s Federal adjudicating units follow the same law, rules, policies, and procedures when making disability determinations. These changes will facilitate consistent case development practice for state DDSs and SSA Federal disability adjudication units.

The changes also allow SSA to discontinue forms SSA-91 (OMB no. 0960-0761), Authorization to Release Medical Report to Physician, and SSA-84 (OMB no. 0960-0751), Treating Physician Consultative Examination Interest Form.