Supporting Statement for Form SSA-L2794
Real Property Current Market Value Estimate
OMB No. 0960-0471
A. Justification
Introduction/Authoring Laws and Regulations
The Social Security Administration (SSA) considers a person’s resources when evaluating their eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) payments. The value of an individual’s resources, including non-home real property, is one of the eligibility requirements for SSI payments. Section 1631(e)(1)(B) requires SSA to obtain proof, as necessary, to assure that we pay benefits to eligible individuals only.
Description of the Collection
SSA uses Form SSA-L2794 to collect information about the value of certain types of resources owned by SSI recipients and applicants. SSA contacts independent and collateral sources to obtain an estimate on the value of such resources. SSA uses the information obtained on Form SSA-L2794 to determine whether individuals meet the resource requirements for eligibility for the SSI program. We use the form in initial SSI applications and in post-entitlement situations. The respondents answer voluntarily. There is no obligation to provide responses. The respondent may complete the form with information readily available, or we can accept a best estimate. SSA will request this information from an outside source only if the SSI applicant or recipient cannot provide a valid third party, knowledgeable- source estimate. The SSA employee fills out the form and sends it to the respondent for completion. The respondents are small business operators in real estate, state and local employees, and other individuals who are knowledgeable about local real estate values.
Use of Information Technology to Collect the Information
In accordance with the agency’s Government Paperwork Elimination Act plan, SSA created a downloadable electronic version of Form SSA-L2794. This allows us to track usage more accurately. This form is only available as a print-only form on SSA’s Intranet. Additionally, SSA is utilizing Internet-based sources available to the public for determining the market value of real property. As more states and counties upload real property information online for public use, SSA may be able to collect more of this information electronically, thereby reducing the public burden.
Why We Cannot Use Duplicate Information
The nature of the information we collect and the manner in which we collect 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. As stated earlier, the agency uses every other information source first before requesting information from small businesses.
Consequence of Not Collecting Information or Collecting it Less Frequently
SSA collects the requested information only when we must verify an SSI applicant’s, or recipient's, allegation of property value, and the property's tax assessed value, to determine eligibility for SSI payments. Additionally, SSA only requests this information when the applicant for, or recipient of, SSI cannot provide a third party knowledgeable-source estimate. If we did not obtain such information when needed, it would prevent us from making accurate determinations of eligibility as required by the statute. If we collected the information less frequently, it could create the risk of incorrect SSI eligibility determinations and incorrect SSI payment amounts. Therefore, we cannot collect this information less frequently. There are no technical or legal obstacles to burden reduction.
Special Circumstances
There are no special circumstances that would cause SSA to collect this information 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 March 1, 2016 at 81 FR 10699, and we received no public comments. We published the 30-day Federal Register Notice on May 20, 2016 at 81 FR 31999. If we receive any comments in response to the 30-day Notice, we will forward them to OMB. SSA has had no outside consultations with members of the public.
Payment of Gifts to Respondents
SSA does not provide payments or gifts to the respondents.
Assurances of Confidentiality
SSA protects and holds confidential the information from this collection 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.
Justification for Sensitive Questions
The information collection does not contain any questions of a sensitive nature.
Estimates of Public Reporting Burden
Approximately 250 Form SSA-L2794 are used annually. The estimated response time is 20 minutes for a total of 83 burden hours. The total burden reflects burden hours, and we did not calculate a separate cost burden.
Annual Cost to the Respondents
This collection does not impose a known cost burden to the respondents.
Annual Cost to the Federal Government
The annual cost to the Federal Government is approximately $1,750. This estimate is a projection of distributing the collection instrument and processing the information.
Program Changes or Adjustments to the Information Collection Request
The burden change stems from a decrease in the usage of the form from 5,438 to 250 per year. The public availability of data related to tax assessment value and market value of real property on the internet, and from data consolidators, resulted in a decrease in the number of requests we have to make to knowledgeable sources, thus decreasing our need for this form.
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 the requirement to display the OMB approval expiration date.
Exemption to Certification Statement
SSA is not requesting an exception to the certification requirements at 5 CFR 1320.9 and related provisions at 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/vnd.openxmlformats-officedocument.wordprocessingml.document |
| File Title | June 2001 |
| Author | OPB |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-24 |