Letter to Employer Requesting Information About Wages Earned by Beneficiary
Revision of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
06/26/2026
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
06/30/2026
124,000
170,000
93,000
113,333
0
0
Social Security disability recipients receive payments based on their inability to engage in substantial gainful activity (SGA) because of physical or mental condition. If the recipients work, the SSA must evaluate and determine if they continue to meet the disability requirements of the law. When an individual is unable to provide earnings information and SSA does not have access to proof of earnings, we use Form SSA-L725 to request monthly earnings information from the recipientâs employer. SSA employees send the paper form SSA-L725 to the employer to complete and use the earnings data we receive from the employers to determine whether the recipient is engaging in SGA, since work above SGA level can cause a cessation of disability payments. The respondents are businesses that employ Social Security disability recipients.
US Code:
42 USC 403
Name of Law: Social Security Act
When we cleared the this ICR in 2023, the burden was 113,333 hours. However, we are currently reporting a burden of 82,667 hours. The decrease in burden is due to a decrease in the number responses from 170,000 to 124,000. There is no change to the burden time per response. Although the number of responses changed, SSA did not take any actions to cause this change. These figures represent current Management Information data.
The decrease is also a result of three legislative changes:
1. Section 825 of the Bipartisan Budget Act (BBA) of 2015 (Public Law 114-74)
allows SSA to use earnings when paid when there is no readily available
evidence of when earnings were earned to make SSDI post-entitlement
determinations. This means that technicians may use state quarterly wage
information and IRS reported earnings rather than sending the SSA-L725 to
employers for monthly wage amounts. Sending the SSA-L725 is now the
âlast resortâ for SSA employees to collect wage information.
2. Section 825 of the BBA instructed SSA to create a way for individuals to report their earnings online. SSA implemented that system in 2017. Having
online wage reports reduce the need for technicians to collect earnings information via the SSA-L725.
3. Finally, Section 824 of the BBA, allows SSA to automatically receive earnings
from Third Party Payroll Data Providers. SSA began receiving these automated third-part reports in April of 2025. Having third party wage reports reduces the need for technicians to collect earnings information via the SSA-L725.
*Note: The total burden reflected in ROCIS is 93,000, while the burden cited in #12 of the Supporting Statement is 82,667. This discrepancy is because the ROCIS burden reflects the learning costs. In contrast, the chart in #12 above 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.