RI98-007_OMBSupportingStmt_2017_01_11

OMB SUPPORTING STATEMENT
RI 98-7 – We Need Important Information About Your Eligibility for Social Security Disability Benefits, Our
Records Show That You Have Not Received a Decision From the Social Security Administration (SSA)
A.

Justification
1.

Title 5, U.S. Code, Chapter 84, Section 8452 and 5 CFR 844 Subpart C, specify that an
annuitant’s FERS disability benefit is reduced by all or part of the amount received as a
disability benefit from the Social Security Administration. The amount the FERS benefit
is reduced is dependent upon the length of time since the commencing date of the FERS
disability benefit and the age of the annuitant. OPM needs to collect information from
FERS disability annuitants to determine who is in receipt and the amount of Social
Security disability benefits.
Although literature sent to the annuitants at the time of case issuance instructs them to
tell us if they begin to receive SSA disability benefits in the future, this form provides them
the physical means to notify us when they begin receiving SSA disability benefits and
serves as an individual notice and reminder of their responsibility to pay us for any
duplicate payments. The form is only sent to FERS disability retirees who are not
receiving SSA benefits when we begin paying their FERS disability annuity.

2.

OPM employees use the information provided by the annuitant to verify receipt of SSA
disability benefits and to compute any resulting adjustments to the FERS disability
benefit.

3.

The response is generally mailed to OPM, but can be accepted via fax, by telephone or
by e-mail.

4.

A periodic computer match with Social Security provides OPM with this information at a
later date. However, the sooner the information is received, the smaller the overpayment
burden will be on the annuitant whose annuity requires offset by the amount of SSA
benefit. Information provided on the RI 98-7 is especially useful when a disability
annuitant receives a retroactive SSA disability benefit, well after they begin receiving their
FERS benefit.
We also use an on-line Social Security inquiry system to check on receipt of Social
Security benefits on a case-by-case basis. This is used to check on benefits before we
begin paying a FERS disability benefit. Form RI 98-7 is sent to disability annuitants after
they begin receiving FERS benefits.

5.

The information is not collected from small businesses.

6.

If this data collection is not conducted, OPM would significantly overpay FERS disability
annuitants. It is conducted at the time the annuitant is put into final pay status if Social
Security benefits are not already documented.

7.

This information collection is consistent with the guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.6.

8.

A notice of proposed information collection was published in the Federal Register, on
September 21, 2016, that gave persons outside the agency an opportunity to comment
on this form. No comments were received.

9.

No gift or payment is awarded respondents based on return of the form.

10.

This information collection is protected by the Privacy Act of 1974 and OPM regulations
(5 CFR 841.108). The routine use of disclosure appears in the Federal Register for
OPM/Central-1 (73 FR 15013, et seq., March 20, 2008).

11.

This information collection does not include questions of a sensitive nature, such as
sexual behavior and attitudes, religious beliefs, and other matters that are commonly
considered private.

12.

Approximately 4,300 RI 98-7’s (We Need Important Information About Your Eligibility for
Social Security Disability Benefits) are expected to be mailed annually. The form takes
approximately 5 minutes to complete. An annual burden of 358 hours is estimated.

13.

There is no cost to the respondents.

14.

The annualized cost to the Federal government is $29,200. This cost includes employee
salary hours devoted to this program, forms and overhead.

15.

The annual burden has not changed.

16.

Results will not be tabulated or published.

17.

It is not cost effective to reprint the whole supply of forms to change the OMB Clearance
expiration date. Therefore, we seek approval not to display the OMB expiration date on
the form.

18.

There are no exceptions to the certification statement.