Authorization for the Social
Security Administration to Obtain Wage and Employment Information
from Payroll Data Providers
Revision of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
10/06/2023
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
12/31/2023
995,400
4,110,786
422,553
147,026
0
0
Section 824 of the Bipartisan Budget
Act (BBA) of 2015, Public Law 114-74, authorizes SSA to enter into
information exchanges with payroll data providers for the purposes
of improving program administration and preventing improper
payments in the SSDI and SSI programs. SSA uses Form SSA-8240,
Authorization for the Social Security Administration to Obtain Wage
and Employment Information from Payroll Data Providers, to secure
the authorization needed from the relevant members of the public to
obtain their wage and employment information from payroll data
providers. Ultimately, SSA uses this wage and employment
information to help determine program eligibility and payment
amounts. The public can complete Form SSA-8240 using the following
modalities: a paper form; the Internet; and an in-office or
telephone interview, during which an SSA employee documents the
wage and employment information authorization information on one of
SSA’s internal systems (the Modernized Claims System (MCS); the SSI
Claims System; eWork; or iMain). The individual’s authorization
will remain effective until one of the following four events
occurs: (1) SSA makes a final adverse decision on the application
for benefits, and the applicant has filed no other claims or
appeals under the Title for which SSA obtained the authorization;
(2) the individual’s eligibility for payments ends, and the
individual has not filed other claims or appeals under the Title
for which SSA obtained the authorization; (3) the individual
revokes the authorization verbally or in writing; or (4) the
deeming relationship ends (for SSI purposes only). SSA requests
authorization on an as-needed basis as part of the following
processes: (a) SSDI and SSI initial claims; (b) SSI
redeterminations; and (c) SSDI Work Continuing Disability Reviews.
The respondents are individuals who file for, or are currently
receiving, SSDI or SSI payments, and any person whose income and
resources SSA counts when determining an individual’s SSI
eligibility or payment amount.
When we last cleared this IC in
2020, the burden was 147,026 hours. However, we are currently
reporting a burden of 62,270 hours. This decrease stems primarily
from a correction to the number of responses. We believe our last
renewal reflected inflated annual responses that reflected the
total number of active authorization forms we had on file rather
than the number of new forms completed each year. The current
burden report reflects our best estimate of the number of responses
based on management information data from fiscal year 2022 as well
as an increase in the estimated time it takes to complete the
collection. Although the number of responses changed, SSA did not
take any actions to cause this change. We made the correction to
the average burden per response per our current management
information data; from public responses on how long it takes to
gather information for this collection; and based on our estimate
for the psychological costs and learning costs on the public.
Although we expanded our use of the authorization collected in this
form to non-automated contacts with payroll data providers, we do
not believe the change in burden estimates is attributed to that
additional use because those individuals affected by the change are
already using the form to provide authorization, and we did not add
new categories of applicants or beneficiaries. Note: The total
burden reflected in ROCIS is 178,400, while the burden cited in #12
of the Supporting Statement is 62,270. This discrepancy is because
the ROCIS burden reflects the following components: field office
waiting time + teleservice waiting time + learning costs. In
contrast, the chart in #12 of the Supporting Statement reflects
actual burden.
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.
Addendum - 0807.docx
Internet (BBA 824)