20 CFR 422.122(b)
OMB No. 0960-0547
A. Justification
1. Introduction/Authoring Laws and Regulations - Pension plan administrators annually file pension plan information with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), who then forwards the information to the Social Security Administration (SSA). SSA maintains and organizes this information by plan number, plan participant name, and Social Security number. Under section 1131(a) of the Social Security Act, pension plan participants are entitled to request this information from SSA. The Wage Reports and Pension Information Regulation, 20 CFR 422.122(b), of the Code of Federal Regulations, stipulates that before SSA disseminates this information, the requester must first submit a written request with identifying information to SSA.
Description of Collection - SSA uses the identifying information supplied by the requesters to verify they are the individuals to whom the requested pension plan information pertains, and to locate the information needed to respond to inquiries. Once we have confirmed the requester’s identity, we investigate the inquiry and furnish a response. The information collection relates to the identifying information included with the request.
Use of Information Technology to Collect the Information - Government regulations require us to provide Wage Reports and Pension Information to authorized individuals upon request. There is no standardized form for these inquiries. Because most requesters write or telephone their local SSA field office for this information, SSA currently has no plans to begin receiving these requests electronically under the Government Paperwork Elimination Plan Act.
Why We Cannot Use Duplicate Information - The nature of the information SSA is collecting and the manner in which we are collecting it preclude duplication. SSA does not use another collection instrument to obtain similar data.
5. Minimizing Burden on Small Respondents - This collection does not significantly affect small businesses or other small entities.
6. Consequence of Not Collecting Information or Collecting It Less Frequently - If we did not collect this information, we would have no way of confirming the individuals requesting pension plan information are entitled to receive it. Eliminating this information collection could result in: a) individuals receiving information to which they are not entitled, leading to potential fraud; or b) SSA not providing pension plan information to requesters, thus failing to meet our legal obligations. Since we can only provide the information to those individuals who request it and furnish appropriate identifiers, we cannot collect it less frequently. There are no technical or legal obstacles to burden reduction.
7. Special Circumstances - There are no special circumstances that would cause SSA to conduct this information collection in a manner inconsistent with 5 CFR 1320.5.
Solicitation of Public Comment and Other Consultations with the Public - SSA published the 60-day advance Federal Register Notice on February 7, 2013 at 78 FR 9102, and we received no public comments. We published the 30-day Notice on 78 at 21181. If we receive any comments in response to the 30-day Notice, we will forward them to OMB. We did not consult with members of the public.
9. Payment or Gifts to Respondents - SSA provides no payment or gifts to the individuals furnishing the collected information.
10. Assurances of Confidentiality - SSA protects and holds confidential the information we collect 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. Justification for Sensitive Questions - The information collection does not contain any questions of a sensitive nature.
12. Estimates of Public Reporting Burden - Approximately 400 individuals take 30 minutes each to provide the identifying information required to request pension plan information each year. Accordingly, the burden is 200 hours. This figure represents burden hours, and we did not calculate a separate cost burden.
13. Annual Cost to the Respondents - This collection does not impose a known cost burden on the respondents.
14. Annual Cost to the Federal Government - The annual cost to the Federal Government is approximately $1,000. This estimate is a projection of the costs for collecting the information and processing the request.
15. Program Changes or Adjustments to the Information Collection Request – The decrease in burden reflects a decrease in the number of requests for pension plan information from the public/respondents.
Plans for Publication Information Collection Results - SSA will not publish the results of the information collection.
Displaying the OMB Approval Expiration Date - SSA is not requesting an exception to publishing the OMB expiration date. (Because this information collection relates to unsolicited correspondence we receive from the public, displaying the OMB approval expiration date does not apply.)
Exceptions to Certification Statement - SSA is not requesting an exception to the certification requirements at 5 CFR 1320.9 and related provisions at 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
B. Collections of Information Employing Statistical Methods
SSA does not use statistical methods for this information collection.
| File Type | application/msword |
| File Title | September 2000 |
| Author | John V Hailman |
| Last Modified By | 889123 |
| File Modified | 2013-04-09 |
| File Created | 2013-01-25 |