Addendum to the Supporting Statement for 0960-NEW (mySocial Security - Security Authentication Pin (SAP))

Addendum to the Supporting Statement for

Emergency Paperwork Reduction Act Approval For:

my Social Security – Security Authentication PIN (SAP)

20 CFR 401.45

OMB No. 0960-NEW

Emergency Information Collection Request (ICR)

Background

The Social Security Administration (SSA) published the Emergency PRA Approval Request in the Federal Register on April 18, 2025, at 90 FR 16583. Since the publication of this Notice, we have made minor revisions to the use of the collection instrument as detailed below.

Revision to the Use of the my Social Security – Security Authentication PIN (SAP)

SSA is revising the overall use of the SAP to include only direct deposit changes (including enrollments, updates or cancellations). We will use the new SAP process for verifying the identity of customers who request post-entitlement/eligibility direct deposit changes.  The Agency will not use the SAP process to resolve anomalous claims flags as referenced in the Federal Register notice.  When SSA flags a claim as anomalous, currently we require in-person authentication of the respondent’s identity

Since July 2017, the Agency has utilized an anomalous claims process to analyze iClaims for indicators of potentially fraudulent activity. Under this process, we hold applications for three days to allow for completion of the automated fraud analysis. If the automated fraud analysis flags an application as “anomalous,” claims specialists follow special instructions to verify the identity of the applicant before adjudicating these claims.  On April 14, the Agency began utilizing the automated fraud analysis for Retirement, Survivors, Auxiliary Spouses, Lump Sum Death Payment, and Children benefits applications (all non-disability claims) filed over the telephone. If the automated system flags a telephone application as “anomalous,” claims specialists follow the same special instructions used to verify the identity of “anomalous” iClaims. Because we utilize the anomalous claims process for applications filed online and over the telephone, the Agency has decided that we should not include the SAP process in the instructions for resolving an “anomalous” flag.  Rather we will require these customers to visit their local field office to present proof of identity.

Since the anomalous claims process is used on a small percentage of overall claims (SSA estimates that in the first week of usage for the above listed claims types, fewer than one percent were flagged as anomalous), and this request for these respondents to visit a field office to resolve the issue is part of the current process, the Agency’s choice to remove the ability to use SAP to provide identity authentication for flagged anomalous claims from the scope of this information collection imposes no more than a de minimis new burden on the public.