Supporting statement 0097-Revised427

Supporting Statement for Form SSA-1535-U3

Application for Search of Census Records for Proof of Age

20 CFR 404.716

OMB # 0960-0097

1. Justification

1. Section 205(a) of the Social Security Act gives the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) broad authority to make rules and regulations and establish procedures that provide for the taking and furnishing of necessary evidence. 20 CFR 404.716 of the Code of Federal Regulations provides that in the absence of preferred evidence of age (birth or religious record established before age 5), other evidence of age will be sought. Census records are such other evidence of age.

2. SSA uses the information collected by the SSA-1535-U3 to provide the Census Bureau with sufficient identification information, which will allow an accurate search of census records to establish proof of age for an individual applying for Social Security benefits. When preferred evidence of age is not available and the available evidence is not convincing, SSA may request the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, to search its records in order to establish a claimant’s date of birth. A completed SSA-1535-U3 is the formal request and, when signed by an authorized SSA employee, serves as the mechanism by which the Census Bureau bills SSA for the search. The respondents are applicants for Social Security benefits who need to establish their date of birth as a factor of entitlement.

3. Form SSA-1535-U3 is not currently available electronically, due to the low volume of usage and other Agency priorities.

4. The nature of the information we are collecting and the manner in which we are collecting it preclude duplication. SSA does not use another collection instrument to collect similar data.

5. This collection does not affect small businesses or other small entities.

6. The collection of this information takes place based on the need of an individual to prove his or her age in connection with a claim for benefits. Since we collect this information on an as needed basis, we cannot collect it less frequently. There are no technical or legal obstacles that prevent burden reduction.

7. There are no special circumstances that would cause SSA to conduct this information collection in a manner inconsistent with 5 CFR 1320.5.

8. The 60-day advance Federal Register Notice published on February 17, 2009, at 74 FR 7506, and SSA received no public comments. The second Notice published on April 24, at 74 FR 18782. SSA did not consult members of the public in the maintenance of this form.

9. SSA provides no payment or gifts to the respondents.

10. SSA protects and holds confidential the information it is requesting in accordance with 42 U.S.C. 1306, 20 CFR 401 and 402, 5 U.S.C. 552 (Freedom of Information Act), 5 U.S.C. 552a (Privacy Act of 1974), and OMB Circular No. A-130.

11. The information collection does not contain any questions of a sensitive

nature.

11. Approximately 18,030 respondents use Form SSA-1535-U3 annually.

The annual average response time is 12 minutes for a total of 3,606 burden hours. The total burden represents burden hours, and SSA did not calculate a separate cost burden.

11. There is no known cost burden to the respondents.

11. The annual cost to the Federal Government is approximately $700. This estimate is a projection of the costs for printing and distributing the collection instrument and for collecting the information.

11. There are no changes in the public reporting burden.

11. SSA will not publish the results of the information collection.

11. OMB exempted SSA from the requirement to print the OMB approval expiration date on its program forms. SSA produces millions of public-use forms, many of which have a life cycle longer than that of an OMB approval. SSA does not periodically revise and reprint its public-use forms (e.g., on an annual basis). OMB granted this exemption so the agency would not have to discontinue using otherwise useable editions of forms with outdated expiration dates. In addition, SSA avoids government waste, because we will not have to destroy and reprint stocks of forms.

11. SSA is not requesting an exemption to the certification requirements at 5

CFR 1320.9 and related provisions at 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

2. Collection of Information Employing Statistical Methods

SSA is not using statistical methods for this information collection.