Addendum - 0502

Addendum to Supporting Statement for Form SSA-1588-SM

Beneficiary Recontact Report

20 CFR 404.703 & 404.705

OMB No. 0960-0502

Revision to the Collection Instrument

We made the following revisions to Form SSA-1588-SM:

• Change #1: We rearranged questions 1b-1e and updated the corresponding instructions on page 2.

Justification #1: This change will clarify that the name of the spouse is necessary when the respondent answers “Yes” to “Are you married?” It will also ensure that respondents do not complete sections of the form that do not pertain to them.

• Change #2: We revised 1b (previously 1e) from “Print your spouse’s name” to “Print your spouse’s name (Last, First, MI).”

Justification #2: This change will ensure item 1b is completed by all respondents in the same format.

• Change #3: We revised 1c (previously 1b) from, “Enter the month and year you married. Show the month and year in numbers. Example: May 1990>05/1990” to “Enter the month and year you married. Show the month and year in numbers.”

Justification #3: The example is not necessary since the response boxes in the right column indicate the correct format for month and year.

• Change #4: We revised 1d (previously 1c) from “Is your spouse receiving Social Security benefits” to “Does your spouse receive Social Security benefits?”

Justification #4: We revised the question to make it easier to understand and complete.

• Change #5: We revised 2a from “Do you have children who receive Social Security benefits living with you?” to “Do you have children living with you who receive Social Security benefits?”

Justification #5: We revised the question to make it easier to understand and complete.

• Change #6: We removed the indentation in question 2a on the second line under the second bullet and changed “OR” to “or.”

Justification #6: The indentation and capitalization were oversights and incorrect. We are correcting them now.

• Change #7: We added a period to the last sentence in question 2b.

Justification #7: The missing period was an oversight and incorrect. We are correcting it now.

• Change #8: On the instruction page, we removed the language pertaining to age 17.

Justification #8: Effective September 2012, SSA mails only the SSA-1588-SM to young surviving spouses. We eliminated the recontact to beneficiaries (young children) approaching age 17. We updated this per current SSA practice.

• Change #9: We are revising the Privacy Act Statement on this form.

Justification #9: SSA’s Office of the General Counsel is conducting a systematic review of SSA’s Privacy Act Statements on agency forms. As a result, SSA is updating the Privacy Act Statement on the form.