Justification for the Non-Substantive Changes to 0960-0596

Justification for Non-Substantive Changes for

Request for Internet Services-Authentication; 800# Automated Telephone Speech Technology

OMB No. 0960-0596

Justification for Non-Substantive Changes to the Collection or Resubmission of the Collection within One Year of OMB Approval

Background:

We are making a non-substantive change, to update the Telephone Knowledge Benefit Verification (TKBEV) application. TKBEV provides current or prior beneficiaries the ability to request a Benefit Verification (BEVE) letter via the National 800 Number automated telephone services. Once the system authenticates the caller, it mails the BEVE to the address of record. If a caller has never received benefits, the system transfers them to an agent for assistance and they cannot self-serve. The updated TKBEV will allow callers who are not beneficiaries, and have never received benefits from SSA, to obtain a no-BEVE using the automated service.

SSA is making the following revisions:

• Change #1: We are removing our initial question initial question “Are you currently receiving benefits”.

Justification #1: The addition of the no-BEVE capability will allow the system to authenticate each caller that enters the application, and determine if the caller has ever received benefits. Initially, if they said they were not receiving benefits, the system transferred them to an agent; they will now be able to self-serve.

• Change #2: The TKBEV will collect the addresses from callers who never received benefits.

Justification #2: Since a caller that has never received benefits does not have an SSA record, there is no “address of record” to mail a BEVE too. TKBEV will ask the caller to provide their address using the same address collection module that we currently use in the IVR for forms and pamphlets. The system will also determine if a caller is not currently receiving benefits, or has not received them in the past. If so, the system will also collect their current address to send the BEVE.

SSA’s Commissioner’s Digital Transformation Plan requires SSA to update several of our telephone applications, and our backend systems so they are: more efficient; can help the public self-serve more often; free up our Customer Service Representatives to handle calls that are more complex; and to create backend systems that are not silos, so less resources are required for maintenance. We cannot wait for the next renewal to make these changes since the Commissioner is requiring that we implement as quickly as possible. We do not expect this change to affect the current overall burden for 0960-0596.

Upon OMB approval, SSA plans to implement these changes by the end of July 2020.