Section 823 of the Bipartisan Budget
Act of 2015 required SSA to carry out the Promoting Opportunity
Demonstration (POD) to test a new benefit offset formula for Social
Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) beneficiaries. Therefore, SSA
is undertaking POD, a demonstration to evaluate the affect the new
policy will have on SSDI beneficiaries and their families in
several critical areas. We previously obtained OMB approval for
this demonstration, and are in the midst of implementing the
project. In this information collection request, we are seeking
approval to add new questions to our follow-up surveys. Respondents
are SSDI beneficiaries, who will provide written consent before
agreeing to participate in the study and before we randomly assign
them to one of the study treatment groups.
The burden hour time to
complete the POD Monthly Form increased for paper only submissions
as we included a travel time of 30 minutes for approximately half
of the respondents who may need to travel to a fax machine to
submit their forms. As we are near the end of the data collection
for this demonstration project, we only expect to collect the
information from these two forms for another six-month period.
Therefore, we decreased the frequency of response for the Monthly
form as well. We did not increase the burden for the POD EOYR Form;
however, we note that fewer respondents will complete these forms
in the last half year of this data collection. In addition, we
included the Average Theoretical Hourly Cost Amount for both forms.
Finally, we removed the following items from this request as we
have completed collection of the data from these items: • POD
Baseline Survey • POD Informed Consent Form • POD Onsite Audit of
Case Files in MIS • POD Semi-Structured Interviews with Treatment
Group Subjects • POD Staff Interviews with Site Staff • POD Year 1
Follow Up Survey • POD Year 2 Follow Up Survey The removal of these
completed information collections decreases the total annual
reporting burden for this information collection request.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that
the collection of information encompassed by this request complies
with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR
1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding
the proposed collection of information, that the certification
covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a
benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control
number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of
these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked
and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
POD Monthly Earnings and Impairment-Related Work Expenses (IRWE) Reporting Form - Online
Addendum - 0809.docx
POD End of Year Reporting (EOYR) Documentation