Supporting Statement for Form SSA-7-F6
Application for Parent’s Insurance Benefits
20 CFR 404.370, 404.371, 404.373, 404.374 and 404.601-404.603
OMB No. 0960-0012
Introduction/Authoring Laws and Regulations
Section 202(h) of the Social Security Act (Act) provides the eligibility conditions a claimant must meet to receive monthly benefits as a parent of a deceased worker.
Sections 20 CFR 404.370, 404.371, 404.373, 404.374 and 404.601-404.603 of the Code of Federal Regulations prescribe the eligibility criteria and application instructions for these benefits. Sections 202, 205, 223, 226, and 806 of the Act, as amended, allow us to collect this information. Furnishing SSA this information is voluntary.
Description of Collection
The Social Security Administration (SSA) uses Form SSA-7-F6, Application for Parent’s Insurance Benefits, to obtain the information necessary to determine whether respondents, who are claimants for monthly benefits as parents of a deceased worker, meet the eligibility and application criteria. The respondents are applicants and recipients of Social Security Old Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance benefits.
Use of Information Technology to Collect the Information
Form SSA-7-F6 is available in PDF format on SSA’s website for respondents to print and mail back to SSA. SSA also collects this information electronically during a personal or telephone interview using SSA’s Modernized Claims System (MCS). Based on our data, we estimate 98% of respondents use the electronic method.
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 affect small businesses or other small entities.
Consequence of Not Collecting Information or Collecting it Less Frequently
If we did not use Form SSA-7-F6, the public would have no way to apply for parent benefits. Because we only collect the information once, we cannot collect it less frequently. There are no technical or legal obstacles to prevent 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 March 21, 2018, at 83 FR 12455, and we received no public comments. The 30-day FRN published on June 8, 2018 at 83 FR 26736. If we receive any comments in response to this Notice, we will forward them to OMB.
Payment or Gifts to Respondents
SSA does not provide payments or gifts to the respondents.
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.
Justification for Sensitive Questions
The information collection does not contain any questions of a sensitive nature.
Estimates of Public Reporting Burden
Modality of Completion |
Number of Respondents |
Frequency of Response |
Average Burden per Response (minutes) |
Estimated Total Annual Burden (hours) |
MCS / Signature Proxy / Paper |
168 |
1 |
15 |
42 |
The total annual burden for this ICR is 42 hours. We based these figures on current management data information. We did not calculate a separate cost burden.
Annual Cost to the Respondents (Other)
This collection does not impose a known cost burden on the respondents.
Annual Cost To Federal Government
The annual cost to the Federal Government is approximately $783. This estimate accounts for costs from the following areas: (1) designing, printing, and distributing the form; (2) SSA employee (e.g., field office, 800 number, DDS staff) information collection and processing time; and (3) systems development, updating, and maintenance costs.
Program Changes or Adjustments to the Information Collection Request
When we last cleared this IC in 2015, the burden was 76 hours. However, we are currently reporting a burden of 42 hours. This change stems from a decrease in the number of respondents from 315 to 168 individuals. There is no change to the burden time per response. Although the number of responses changed, SSA did not take any actions to cause this change.
Program Changes or Adjustments to the Information Collection Request
SSA will not publish the results of the information collection.
Plans for Publication Information Collection Results
OMB granted SSA an exemption from the requirement to print the OMB expiration date on its program forms. SSA produces millions of public-use forms with life cycles exceeding those of an OMB approval. Since SSA does not periodically revise and reprint its public-use forms (e.g., on an annual basis), OMB granted this exemption so SSA would not have to destroy stocks of otherwise useable forms with expired OMB approval dates, avoiding Government waste.
Displaying the OMB Approval Expiration Date
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).
Collection 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 | Supporting Statement for Form SSA-7 |
| Author | OPB |
| File Modified | 0000-00-00 |
| File Created | 2021-01-21 |