Addendum to the Supporting Statement for 0960-0785

Addendum Justification of Changes

Benefit Offset National Demonstration

OMB Control No. 0960-0785

Revision to the Collection Instrument

We made very minimal changes to the 36-Month Follow-up Surveys for both Stage 1 and Stage 2 beneficiaries. These changes will go into effect in 2014 when we begin collecting data for the 36-month follow‑up survey. Since we have not, yet, started the 36-month follow-up survey data collection, and because trained interviewers using CATI/CAPI technology will administer the surveys, there is no stock of older versions for us to destroy. In addition, these changes do not impact the burden estimates provided in A12.

• Change 1: Both instruments contain a modification to the financial hardship modules. We modified the original food security questions to coincide with the USDA Six Item Short Module in both Stage 1 and 2 36-month follow-up surveys (questions H7-H12 in Stage 1 and J7-J12 in Stage 2 surveys).

Justification 1: Our original module had many, but not all of these questions already. This change ultimately reduces the number of items assessing food insecurity. Table 1 summarizes the exact changes made in each instrument.

Summary of Change	Relevant Question(s) Changed in the 36-Month Follow-up Surveys
	Stage 1	Stage 2
Modified the Food Insecurity Module to coincide with the USDA Six Item Short Module. Deleted: original H7/J7 Getting enough food can also be a problem for some people. Which of these statements best describes the food eaten in your household in the last twelve months	Original H7 deleted	Original J7 deleted
Deleted: original H10/J10. The next statement is: I was not eating enough because I couldn't afford enough food."	Original H10 deleted	Original J10 deleted
Added new H10/J10: How often did this happen—almost every month, some months but not every month, or in only 1 or 2 months?	Added H10	Added J10
Replaced original H13 with: In the last 12 months, were you every hungry but didn't eat because there wasn't enough money for food?	Modified H12	Modified J12

With this change our scale now conforms to the most recent version of this scale as it appears on other federal surveys. The entire module, as presented in the revised instrument, reads as follows:

H7/J7. I'm going to read you some statements that people have made about their food situation. For these statements, please tell me whether it was often true, sometimes true, or never true for you in the last twelve months.

“The food that I bought just didn't last and I didn't have money to get more." Was that often, sometimes or never true for you in the last twelve months?

H8/J8. The next statement is: “I couldn't afford to eat balanced meals" Was that often, sometimes or never true for you in the last twelve months?

H9/J9. The next questions refer to adults in the household. In the past twelve months did you ever cut the size of your meals or skip meals because there wasn't enough money for food?

H10/J10. [IF H9=1, ASK] How often did this happen—almost every month, some months but not every month, or in only 1 or 2 months?

H11/J11. In the past twelve months, did you ever eat less than you felt you should because there wasn't enough money to buy food?

H12/J12. In the last 12 months, were you every hungry but didn't eat because there wasn't enough money for food?

• Change 2: There is one additional modification to the Stage 1 follow-up instrument. This change adds two questions that were already included in both the Stage 2 interim and the Stage 2 follow-up surveys.

Justification 2: We added these two questions to help address SSA’s interest in measuring Stage 1 beneficiaries’ understanding of BOND. Since we included these questions in the Stage 2 instruments, OMB already approved them under the original information collection approval in February 2011. The addition of these items to Stage 1 allows comparable analysis of the program for both sample groups.

Summary of Change	Relevant Question(s) Changed in the 36-Month Follow-up Surveys
	Stage 1	Stage 2
Added questions to measure understanding of BOND: D4. * Before today, had you ever heard of the Benefit Offset National Demonstration, or the BOND program? D4a.* [IF D4=YES] If asked, how would you describe the BOND program to a friend or relative? [RECORD VERBATIM]	D4 and D4a	N/A as these two questions were already included for Stage 2 Follow-up (F4 and F4a)

Addendum: Justification of Changes to Existing Information Collection 0960-0785 2