Social Security Seeks Input on Fixing Earnings Records
Published Date: 5/22/2026
Notice
Summary
The Social Security Administration wants your thoughts on how they collect info to fix earnings records. If you’ve spotted mistakes in your Social Security earnings, this affects you! They’re asking for comments by June 22, 2026, to make the process easier and less time-consuming—no extra costs involved, just your feedback to help improve things.
Analyzed Economic Effects
9 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 9 costs, 0 mixed.
Missed Hearing Forms Can Affect Your Claim
If you miss a scheduled SSA hearing, you or your representative can file HA-L90 or HA-L90-OP1 to show good cause. SSA reports 37,765 respondents for these forms, with a total annual burden of 6,294 hours and a theoretical annual opportunity cost of $147,720; each submission averages about 10 minutes. A judge may reschedule or may dismiss the hearing or make a determination based on the record.
Fixing Social Security Earnings Takes Time
If you ask SSA to correct mistakes in your Social Security earnings record, you may spend about 30 minutes filling out a paper form or in an interview. SSA reports 136,272 total respondents for this correction process, a combined annual burden of 68,136 hours, and a theoretical annual opportunity cost of $4,365,042.
SSI Deferred Application Requires Time
If you apply for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) using the deferred or abbreviated process, SSA reports 1,135,579 annual respondents with a combined annual burden of 388,058 hours and a theoretical opportunity cost of $7,267,579. Average per-response times range from about 6 minutes (internet iSSI) to 28 minutes (intranet/field office).
Businesses Use Form SSA-581 to Request Earnings
Private businesses and state or local agencies that request itemized earnings information use Form SSA-581. SSA reports about 24,000 respondents, an annual burden of 4,000 hours, and a theoretical annual opportunity cost of $159,440, with each response averaging about 10 minutes.
Selected Medicare Part D Applicants Face Quality Reviews
Medicare Part D subsidy applicants chosen for SSA's quality review may have to complete forms such as SSA-9301. SSA reports 21,350 respondents for these quality-review forms, a total annual burden of 5,631 hours, and a theoretical annual opportunity cost of $275,359; an SSA-9301 response averages about 30 minutes.
Disability Benefit Recipients Must Report Earnings
SSDI and SSI beneficiaries or their payees must report work and wage changes using electronic tools (myWageReport, SSAMWR, SSITWR). SSA reports 258,064 unique respondents, 1,667,416 annual responses, 606,367 total burden hours, and a theoretical annual opportunity cost of $14,204,434; frequency for some reporters is up to 12 times per year with roughly 20–22 minutes per report.
Medical Providers Spend Time on SSA Evidence Requests
Doctors and hospitals that provide medical evidence for disability claims complete Forms HA-66 or HA-67. SSA reports 27,414 respondents with a combined annual burden of 150,778 hours and a theoretical annual opportunity cost of $15,530,134; each medical evidence response averages about 15 minutes and SSA uses an estimated $103/hour value for provider time.
Agencies Register for GSO with Small Time Cost
State and local government agencies and some private entities use SSA-159 or SSA-160 to register or modify Government-to-Government Online (GSO) accounts. SSA reports 2,339 respondents, an annual burden of 585 hours, and a theoretical annual opportunity cost of $12,542, with each response averaging about 15 minutes.
Small Study Asks Injured Patients About Work Outcomes
SSA's Vocational Resource Facilitator Demonstration (VRFD) enrolls newly injured spinal cord injury or brain injury patients in a randomized study to measure employment, earnings, and benefit receipt. The evaluation plans about 103 respondents, about 52 total burden hours, and a theoretical opportunity cost of about $1,000; a 12-month follow-up survey averages about 25 minutes.
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