Within 60 days, the agency will offer a briefing to OMB on the status of additional revisions to its electronic signature policy described under EM-25010 (or its successor policy) to address to address concerns raised by public commenters under this information collection associated with the burden of unclear instructions to respondents and field offices.
table that charts list comparision
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
08/31/2028
36 Months From Approved
06/30/2026
115,369
0
1,864,765
365,335
0
963,462
0
0
0
SSA is introducing Upload Documents (eSubmit), a new way individuals can submit evidence and forms to SSA online. In the digital age, individuals expect to complete transactions online, including submission of documents and forms to government agencies. The agency already offers several self-service specific options for individuals to submit forms and other documents online, including the Electronic Protective Filing Tool, ePFT (OMB No. 0960-0826), Internet Social Security Benefits Application, iClaim (OMB No. 0960-0618), and iAppeals (OMB No. 0960 0269 & 0960-0622). Upload Documents (eSubmit) is a secure upload portal which respondents will use to submit documents and forms to SSA. To ensure the success of Upload Documents (eSubmit), we will roll out the new application in several phases. The first phase will allow respondents to provide select documents (evidence that does not need to be certified or evidence which the agency does not require to be an original, also known collectively as âânon original documentation,ââ and first-party forms that do not require a signature) to SSA electronically. Individuals must provide this information themselves since they will have to authenticate with their own information through one of several authentication methods (i.e., Login.gov, ID.me, or SSAâs Public Credentialing and Authentication Process). During this initial release for Upload Documents (eSubmit), we will contact the respondent, via telephone or face-to-face interview with SSA, for a business matter (e.g., filing a claim, performing a redetermination, or updating their personal information). During the interaction, the SSA technician will inform the individual verbally that SSA requires additional information to support their request and will offer the opportunity to provide the information electronically via the Upload Documents (eSubmit) application. After the respondent grants consent to SSA, we will generate a one-time email containing a link to Upload Documents (eSubmit) with instructions on how to access Upload Documents (eSubmit). The system will only make the electronic submission process available within 30 days from the date of the email. Concurrently, the technician will print a paper notice containing more details about the request, including any applicable due process deadline for submission, and will send it through postal mail to the respondent. Once the respondent authenticates and arrives at the Upload Documents (eSubmit) dashboard, the system will present the respondent with information regarding the items SSA requested for submission (examples of the documentation SSA may request include forms or non-standardized evidence to support the request [e.g., pay stubs, bank statements, pension award letters, tax documents, child support payment history, etc.]). From this screen, the individual will be able to upload the corresponding files from an electronic device. Once they finish uploading the documents, the respondents must select the Submit button to complete the action and the system will present them with an indicator of success or failure. The system will notify the technician through the Technician Experience Dashboard (TED) when the document is available for review and consideration.
The second release of Upload Documents (eSubmit) will include an electronic signature functionality that will allow respondents to submit some forms requiring signature. To ensure our system is prepared to accept forms electronically signed in this manner, we will complete periodic future releases after the second release to allow Upload Documents (eSubmit) to accept more agency forms in the future. Respondents are first-party individuals who choose to use the Internet to conduct business with SSA.
When we last cleared this information collection we showed an estimated burden for the new information collection of 963,462 hours; however, we are currently reporting a burden of 9,614 hours. This is because we had to estimate the previous figures based on expected usage; however, now we have actual management information (MI) data which shows the current figures. Although the number of responses changed, SSA did not take any actions to cause this change. There is no change to the burden time per response.
* Note: The total burden reflected in ROCIS is 365,335, while the burden cited in #12 of the Supporting Statement is 9,614. This discrepancy is because the ROCIS burden reflects the following components: the average of current telephone waiting time + a rough estimate of a 30-minute, one-way, drive burden. 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 - 0830 (final).docx
Public Comments from NOSSCR.pdf
Upload Documents (eSubmit) Release #2