A. Justification
Introduction/Authoring Laws and Regulations
Section 1612(1)(C) of the Social Security Act (the Act) and 42 USC 1382a define remuneration received for services performed in a sheltered workshop as earned income for the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) program. The amount of monthly wages determines an individual’s SSI payment amount.
Description of Collection
Sheltered workshops are private non-profit organizations or institutions that implement a recognized program of rehabilitation for handicapped workers, or provide such workers with remunerative employment or other occupational rehabilitative activity of an educational or therapeutic nature. Sheltered workshops perform a service for their clients by reporting monthly wages directly to SSA. SSA uses the information these workshops provide to verify and post monthly wages to the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipient’s record. Most workshops report monthly wage totals to their local SSA office so we can adjust the client’s SSI payment amount in a timely manner and prevent overpayments. Sheltered workshops are motivated to report wages voluntarily as a service to their clients. Respondents are sheltered workshops that report monthly wages for services performed in the workshop.
Use of Information Technology to Collect the Information
In accordance with the agency’s Government Paperwork Elimination Act plan, SSA created an Internet version the Sheltered Workshop Wage Reporting System. SSA offers an electronic option for reporting sheltered workshop wages through Government-to-Government Services Online. OMB # 0960-0757 clears the registration process for the Government-to-Government Service Online.
Why We Cannot Use Duplicate Information
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 obtain similar data
Minimizing Burden on Small Respondents
This collection does not significantly affect small businesses or other small entities.
Consequence of Not Collecting Information or Collecting it Less Frequently Sheltered Workshop reporting reduces the number of overpayments to SSI recipients. Processing these wage reports electronically reduces the cost of administering the program. If we did not collect the information, we would not be able to determine the savings. Because we collect the information on an as needed basis, we cannot collect it less frequently.
There are no technical or legal obstacles to burden reduction.
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
The 60-day advance Federal Register Notice published on January 7, 2014, at 79 FR 889, and we received no public comments. The 30-day FRN published on March 21, 2014 at 79 FR 15782. If we receive any comments in response to this Notice, we will forward them to OMB.
9. Payment or Gifts to Respondents
SSA does not provide payments or gifts to the respondents.
10. Assurances of Confidentiality
SSA protects and holds confidential the information it collects 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
Modality of Collection |
Number of Respondents |
Frequency of Response |
Average Burden Per Response (minutes) |
Estimated Total Annual Burden (hours) |
Sheltered Workshop Wage Reporting |
800 |
12 |
15 |
2,400 |
The total burden for this ICR is 2,400 hours. This figure represents burden hours, and we did not calculate a separate cost burden.
13. Annual Cost to the Respondents (Other)
This collection does not impose a known cost burden on the respondents.
Annual Cost To Federal Government
The estimated cost to the Federal Government to collect the information is negligible. Because the cost of maintaining the system which collects this information is accounted for within the cost of maintaining all of SSA’s automated systems, it is not possible to calculate the cost associated with just one Internet application.
Program Changes or Adjustments to the Information Collection Request
There has been a decrease in the number of burden hours. The decrease is because not all field offices process workshop reports and some process reports from multiple workshops. The workshops reporting and the SSA offices receiving is always changing over time. Additionally, a workshop may lose expertise due to changes in staff and stop reporting.
Plans for Publication Information Collection Results
SSA will not publish the results of the information collection
17. Displaying the OMB Approval Expiration Date
SSA is not requesting an exception to the requirement to display an expiration date.
18. 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 | Supporting Statement for Title of Information Collection (and Form Number(s) if applicable) |
| Author | 075903 |
| Last Modified By | 889123 |
| File Modified | 2014-03-21 |
| File Created | 2013-12-17 |