Consent-Based Social Security Number Verification Service (CBSV)
OMB No. 0960-0760
Request for Approval of Non-Substantive or No Material Changes
Background:
SSA’s Consent Based Social Security number verification (CBSV) service provides fee-based Social Security number (SSN) verification to private businesses and government agencies who obtain a valid, signed consent form from the SSN holder. Participating business and agencies can only use the verification results for the reason the number holder specifies on the consent form. CBSV provides instantaneous, automated verification results and easily handles large volume requests.
Minor Changes to the Information Collection
Currently participating business and agencies have the option to provide SSA with an electronic file through the CBSV website on Business Services Online (BSO): (1) as a single request for real-time response; or (2) as batch mode format for response in two to three business days. Additionally, the requesting businesses may submit multiple requests through a web service platform that conforms to SSA’s data configuration for a real-time response. All requests must specify name, date of birth, and SSN of each individual the participating business or agency seeks to verify. SSA compares the information provided in the verification request with the information in SSA’s Master File of SSN holders and SSN Applications System of Records and provides verification results.
Effective May/June 2014, SSA proposes to eliminate batch mode services to reserve resources and eliminate unnecessary costs. There is no demand for batch mode. None of the current CBSV customers have requested this method of service delivery and no new parties have expressed an interest in doing business this way.
If SSA continues to maintain batch services with planned system enhancements, work years will increase to 3.11 from 2.11. This added cost will provide no benefit since there are no requesting parties for batch service.
SSA data shows participating companies prefer to use the real-time response option (both single requests and via web service platform) over the longer, two- to three-business day verification batch mode service.
Since the cost to participating companies is based on per SSN verification, this action would not change the cost incurred by the respondents (i.e., companies).
Justification: Cost and Resources of Batch Services Exceeds the Benefit
CBSV is a reimbursable project and uses a fee-per-transaction model; we must ensure SSA recovers the full cost of providing the service. The increasing costs of compliance reviews, agency oversight, and the system enhancements necessary to sustain the services we provide under CBSV, have prompted us to increase the transaction rate for fiscal year (FY) 2014 from $1.05 to $1.10.
Effective, October 1, 2013, we requested, and OMB-approved, a transaction fee increase from $1.05 to $1.10 per verification request. This new cost is due to expected growth in FY 2014; we anticipate an increase in the volume of transactions and estimate expenses for compliance reviews of $750,000. Although CBSV is a reimbursable project, the resources and cost to maintain the batch services exceeds its benefit. Eliminating batch services will help SSA in keeping costs down for CBSV-participating companies.
Since participating companies prefer to use the real-time single request verification response over the longer (2-day) batch services mode, we are requesting to eliminate the service. This action will not affect the public reporting burden.
| File Type | application/msword |
| Author | 889123 |
| Last Modified By | John Larwood |
| File Modified | 2013-12-02 |
| File Created | 2013-12-02 |