SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION NOTICE OF SYSTEM OF RECORDS REQUIRED BY THE
PRIVACY ACT OF 1974
System number:
60-0273
System Name:
Social Security Title VIII Special Veterans Benefits Claims Development and
Management Information System, SSA/RO/San Francisco
Security Classification:
None
System Location:
Social Security Administration
San Francisco
Center for Infrastructure
Systems Support Staff
Frank Hagel Federal Building
1221 Nevin Ave.
Richmond , California 94801
Categories of Individuals covered by the System:
All applicants and beneficiaries for SVB under title VIII of the Social Security
Act (Act). Records also contain information on applicants whose claims
have been denied.
Categories of records in the system:
The information maintained in this system of records is collected from the
applicants for title VIII SVB and other systems of records maintained by SSA.
The information maintained includes: identifying information such as the
applicant’s name, Social Security number (SSN) and date of birth (DOB);
telephone number (if any); foreign and domestic addresses; the applicant’s sex;
and other information provided by the applicant relative to his or her
entitlement for SVB.
In cases where an applicant’s claim for SVB is denied, this system of records
includes the denial reason and date and information relative to the appellate
process.
There are also a number of data elements in the proposed system pertinent to the
beneficiary's continued eligibility. These include payment, foreign
residence information and other elements that help regional and local offices
maintain the tracking and management information required to administer the
title VIII program efficiently.
If the beneficiary has a representative payee, this system of records includes
data about the representative payee such as
the payee’s SSN; employer identification number, if applicable; mailing
address/residence address; DOB; and place of birth.
Authority for maintenance of the system:
Title VIII of the Social Security Act, Special Benefits for Certain World War II
Veterans.
Purpose(s):
All information in this system of records is maintained under the
claimant/beneficiary's name and SSN. The system of records is designed to
permit electronic entry and retrieval of claims development and tracking and
management information about title VIII SVB claims. This electronic record
contains data applicable to the special veterans' eligibility to title VIII SVB
and facilitates efforts to control and track this workload from the initial
inquiry and application to further development. The system of records also
maintains information about the implementation of title VIII to permit
allocation of resources, budget projection and workload management. The
information contained in this system of records will be centralized on a website
allowing access by the regional and field offices to nationally consolidated
data.
Routine uses of records maintained in the system, including categories of users
and the purposes of such uses:
Disclosure may be made for routine uses as indicated below:
1. To third party contacts in situations where the party to be
contacted has, or is expected to have, information relating to the individual’s
capability to manage his/her affairs or his/her eligibility for or entitlement
to benefits under the Social Security program when:
a) The individual is unable to provide information being sought. An
individual is considered to be unable to provide certain types of information
when:
i) he/she is incapable or of questionable mental capability;
ii) he/she cannot read or write;
iii) he/she cannot afford the cost of obtaining the information;
iv)
he/she has a hearing impairment, and is contacting SSA by telephone through a
telecommunications relay system operator;
v)
a language barrier exists; or
vi)
the custodian of the information will not, as a matter of policy, provide it to
the individual; or
b) The data are needed to establish the validity of evidence or to verify the
accuracy of information presented by the individual, and it concerns one or more
of the following:
i)
his/her eligibility for benefits under the Social Security program;
ii)
the amount of his/her benefit payment; or
iii)
any case in which the evidence is being reviewed as a result of suspected abuse
or fraud, concern for program integrity, or for quality appraisal, or evaluation
and measurement activities.
2.
To the Office of the President for the purpose of responding to an individual
pursuant to an inquiry received from that individual or from a third party on
his or her behalf.
3.
To a congressional office in response to an inquiry from that office made at the
request of the subject of a record.
4.
To DOJ, a court, or other tribunal (either foreign or domestic), or another
party before such tribunal when,
a)
SSA, or any component thereof; or
b)
any SSA employee in his/her official capacity; or
c) any
SSA employee in his/her individual capacity where DOJ (or SSA where it is
authorized to do so) has agreed to represent the employee; or
d) the
United States or any agency thereof where SSA determines that the litigation is
likely to affect the operations of SSA or any of its components,
is a party to litigation or has an interest in such litigation, and SSA
determines that the use of such records by DOJ, the court, or other tribunal is
relevant and necessary to the litigation, provided, however, that in each case,
SSA determines that such disclosure is compatible with the purpose for which the
records were collected.
5.
To student volunteers and other workers, who technically do not have the status
of Federal employees, when they are performing work for SSA as authorized by
law, and they need access to personally identifiable information in SSA records
in order to perform their assigned Agency functions.
6.
Disclosure to Federal, State, local, or foreign agencies (or agents acting on
their behalf) for administrating Social Security affairs under the Act,
including but not limited to the title VIII SVB.
7. Disclosure to the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), Philippines
Regional Office and its agents, for administering Social Security title VIII SVB
for applicants residing in the
8.
To the Department of State and its agents for administering the Act in
foreign countries through services and facilities of that agency.
9.
To the American Institute of
10.
To the Department of Interior and its agents for administering the Act in the
11.
To representative payees, when the information pertains to individuals for whom
they serve as representative payees, for the purpose of assisting SSA in
administering its representative payment responsibilities under title VIII and
assisting the representative payees in performing their duties as payees,
including receiving and accounting for benefits for individuals for whom they
serve as payees.
12.
Disclosure to contractors, as necessary, for the purpose of assisting SSA in
the efficient administration of its programs.
13.
Non-tax return information which is not restricted from disclosure by federal
law may be disclosed to GSA and NARA for the purpose of conducting records
management studies with respect to their duties and responsibilities under 44
U.S.C. 2904 and 2906, as amended by NARA Act of 1984.
14.
To third party contacts (including private collection agencies under contract
with SSA) for the purpose of their assisting SSA in recovering overpayments.
15.
We may disclose information to appropriate Federal, State, and local agencies,
entities, and persons when (1) we suspect or confirm that the security or
confidentiality of information in this system of records has been compromised;
(2) we determine that as a result of the suspected or confirmed compromise there
is a risk of harm to economic or property interests, identity theft or fraud, or
harm to the security or integrity of this system or other systems or programs of
SSA that rely upon the compromised information; and (3) we determine that
disclosing the information to such agencies, entities, and persons is necessary
to assist in our efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed compromise and
prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm. SSA will use this routine use to respond
only to those incidents involving an unintentional release of its records.
Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining and
disposing of records in the system:
Storage:
Data are stored in electronic and paper
form.
Retrievability:
Records in this system are indexed and retrieved both numerically by SSN and
alphabetically by name.
Safeguards:
This system of records is a data base that is accessible via an SSA intranet
website. Security measures include the use of access codes to enter the
data base, and storage of the electronic records in secured areas which are
accessible only to employees who require the information in performing their
official duties. The paper records that result from the electronic site are kept
in locked cabinets or in otherwise secure areas. SSA, foreign site and
contractor personnel having access to data in the system of records are required
to adhere to SSA rules concerning safeguards, access, and use of the data.
They also are informed of the criminal penalties of the Privacy Act for
unauthorized access to or disclosure of information maintained in this system of
records.
Retention and disposal:
Claims development and tracking and management information maintained in this
system are retained indefinitely or when it is determined that they are no
longer needed. Means of disposal is appropriate to storage medium (e.g.,
deletion of individual records from the electronic site when appropriate or
shredding of paper records that are produced from the system).
System manager and address:
Social Security Administration
San Francisco
Center for Infrastructure
Manager
Systems Support Staff
Frank Hagel Federal Building
1221 Nevin Ave.
Richmond , California 94801
Notification procedure:
An individual can determine if this system contains a record about him/her by
writing to the systems manager(s) at the above address and providing his/her
name, SSN or other information that may be in the system of records that will
identify him/her. An individual requesting notification of records in
person should provide the same information, as well as provide an identity
document, preferably with a photograph, such as a driver’s license or some other
means of identification, such as a voter registration card, credit card, etc.
If an individual does not have any identification documents sufficient to
establish his/her identity, the individual must certify in writing that he/she
is the person claimed to be and that he/she understands that the knowing and
willful request for, or acquisition of, a record pertaining to another
individual under false pretenses is a criminal offense.
If notification is requested by telephone, an individual must verify his/her
identity by providing identifying information that parallels the record to which
notification is being requested. If it is determined that the identifying
information provided by telephone is insufficient, the individual will be
required to submit a request in writing or in person. If an individual is
requesting information by telephone on behalf of another individual, the subject
individual must be connected with SSA and the requesting individual in the same
phone call. SSA will establish the subject individual’s identity (his/her
name, SSN, address, date of birth and place of birth along with one other piece
of information such as mother’s maiden name) and ask for his/her consent in
providing information to the requesting individual.
If a request for notification is submitted by mail, an individual must include a
notarized statement to SSA to verify his/her identity or must certify in the
request that he/she is the person claimed to be and that he/she understands that
the knowing and willful request for, or acquisition of, a record pertaining to
another individual under false pretenses is a criminal offense. These
procedures are in accordance with SSA Regulations (20 CFR § 401.40).
Record access procedures:
Same as notification procedures. Requesters should also reasonably specify
the record contents being sought. These procedures are in accordance with
SSA Regulations 20 CFR Section 401.50.
Contesting record procedures:
Same as notification procedures. Requesters should also reasonably
identify the record, specify the information they are contesting, and state the
corrective action sought and the reasons for the correction with supporting
justification showing how the record is untimely, incomplete, inaccurate, or
irrelevant. These procedures are in accordance with SSA Regulations 20 CFR
Section 401.65.
Record source categories:
Data for the system are obtained primarily from individual
claimants/beneficiaries (or their representative payees if applicable) who claim
benefits under title VIII. Records in this system may also be derived in
part from other SSA systems of records (e.g., Claims Folders System, (60-0089)
and the Supplemental Security Income Record and Special Veterans Benefits,
(60-0103)).
Systems exempted from certain provisions of the Privacy Act:
None.