Benefit Offset National Demonstration (BOND) Project

Forms and Documents

Document Name	Status
Addendum - 0785.docx Supplementary Document	2014-01-30
Supporting Statement Part B - 0785.doc Supporting Statement B	2014-01-30
Supporting Statement Part A - 0785.docx Supporting Statement A	2014-01-30

IC Document Collections

IC ID	Document Title	Status
199021	Stage 1 First Contact Letter Survey Other-Survey	Unchanged
194554	Enhanced Work Incentives Counseling Assement Other-Survey	Modified
194553	Participation Agreement (Informed Consent) Other-Informed Consent	Modified
193823	Stage 2 Participant Focus Groups Other-Focus Group Guide	Unchanged
193822	Key Informant Interviews Other-Interview Guide	Unchanged
193821	Stage 2 36-month Survey Other-Survey	Modified
193820	Stage 1 36-month Survey Other-Survey	Modified
193819	Stage 2 12-Month Interim Survey Other-Survey	Modified
193739	Baseline Survey Other-Survey	Modified

ICR Details

OMB Control No: 0960-0785	ICR Reference No: 201309-0960-001
Status: Historical Active	Previous ICR Reference No: 201108-0960-008
Agency/Subagency: SSA	Agency Tracking No:
Title: Benefit Offset National Demonstration (BOND) Project
Type of Information Collection: Revision of a currently approved collection	Common Form ICR:  No
Type of Review Request: Regular
OIRA Conclusion Action: Approved without change	Conclusion Date: 03/07/2014
	Date Received in OIRA: 02/03/2014
Terms of Clearance:

	Inventory as of this Action	Requested	Previously Approved
Expiration Date	03/31/2017	36 Months From Approved	03/31/2014
Responses	59,523	0	58,160
Time Burden (Hours)	38,502	0	37,670
Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0

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Abstract: Currently, Social Security Disability (SSDI) beneficiaries lose their entire SSDI benefit if they have earnings and/or work activity above the threshold of Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). This feature of the benefit design is often known as "the cliff." The benefit offset component of the demonstration will allow earnings above this level, reducing benefits by $1 for each additional $2 earned, thereby eliminating the "cliff" currently in effect. The experimental design for BOND will test a benefit offset alone and in conjunction with enhanced work incentives counseling. The central research questions concern: • What is the effect of the benefit offset alone on employment and other outcomes? • What is the effect of the benefit offset in combination with enhanced work incentives counseling, on employment and other outcomes? The evaluation will use an experimental design (with random assignment) to measure these effects. Random assignment will take place at two levels, Stage 1 and Stage 2. Each level will create a current law control group to compare to one or more treatment group. The proposed survey data collection is the primary source for data to measure the effects of a more generous benefit offset and the provision of enhanced work incentives counseling on the work effort and earnings of SSDI beneficiaries. Ultimately, these data will benefit researchers, policy analysts, policy makers and the United States Congress in a wide range of program areas. The effects of BOND on the wellbeing of SSDI beneficiaries could manifest themselves in many dimensions and could be relevant to an array of other public programs. This project offers the first opportunity to obtain reliable measures of these effects. The long-term indirect benefits of this research are therefore likely to be substantial. Respondents are SSDI beneficiaries.

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Authorizing Statute(s): US Code: 42 USC 434(a)(1)(A) and (B) Name of Law: Ticket to Work and Work Incentives Improvement Act
  

Citations for New Statutory Requirements: None

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Associated Rulemaking Information
RIN:	Stage of Rulemaking:	Federal Register Citation:	Date:
	Not associated with rulemaking

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Federal Register Notices & Comments
60-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	78 FR 65745	11/01/2013
30-day Notice:	Federal Register Citation:	Citation Date:
	79 FR 5014	01/30/2014
Did the Agency receive public comments on this ICR? No

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Number of Information Collection (IC) in this ICR: 9

IC Title	Form No.	Form Name
Stage 1 36-month Survey
Participation Agreement (Informed Consent)
Enhanced Work Incentives Counseling Assement
Stage 1 First Contact Letter Survey
Baseline Survey
Key Informant Interviews
Stage 2 Participant Focus Groups
Stage 2 12-Month Interim Survey
Stage 2 36-month Survey

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ICR Summary of Burden

	Total Approved	Previously Approved	Change Due to New Statute	Change Due to Agency Discretion	Change Due to Adjustment in Estimate	Change Due to Potential Violation of the PRA
Annual Number of Responses	59,523	58,160	0	0	1,363	0
Annual Time Burden (Hours)	38,502	37,670	0	0	832	0
Annual Cost Burden (Dollars)	0	0	0	0	0	0

Burden increases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Increase Due to:

Burden decreases because of Program Change due to Agency Discretion: No

Burden Reduction Due to:

Short Statement: Since we last cleared this information collection request in 2011, we increased the public reporting burden. Upon completion of the enrollment of the Stage 2 beneficiaries, we noticed our Stage 2 outreach efforts were more successful than originally estimated. As a result, we enrolled 12,954 beneficiaries into the study. The increase in burden shown in #12A above is due to the overall increase in Stage 2 enrollment. While we are reporting a larger number of total burden hours for the Stage 2 survey efforts (participation agreement, baseline, interim and follow-up surveys), we are basing the increase solely on total sample size. There is no change to the burden estimates for an individual respondent.

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Annual Cost to Federal Government: $17,733,834

Does this IC contain surveys, censuses, or employ statistical methods? No

Is the Supporting Statement intended to be a Privacy Impact Assessment required by the E-Government Act of 2002? No

Is this ICR related to the Affordable Care Act [Pub. L. 111-148 & 111-152]? No

Is this ICR related to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, [Pub. L. 111-203]? No

Is this ICR related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA)? No

Is this ICR related to the Pandemic Response? Uncollected

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Common Form ICR:  No

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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:

(a) It is necessary for the proper performance of agency functions;

(b) It avoids unnecessary duplication;

(c) It reduces burden on small entities;

(d) It uses plain, coherent, and unambiguous language that is understandable to respondents;

(e) Its implementation will be consistent and compatible with current reporting and recordkeeping practices;

(f) It indicates the retention periods for recordkeeping requirements;

(g) It informs respondents of the information called for under 5 CFR 1320.8 (b)(3) about:

(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;

(h) It was developed by an office that has planned and allocated resources for the efficient and effective management and use of the information to be collected.

(i) It uses effective and efficient statistical survey methodology (if applicable); and

(j) It makes appropriate use of information technology.

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.

Certification Date: 02/03/2014

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