SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION NOTICE OF SYSTEM OF RECORDS REQUIRED BY THE PRIVACY ACT OF 1974

System Number:

60-0253

System Name:

Vocational Rehabilitation;
State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Information (VR SVRA) File, SSA/OD.

Security classification:

System location: 

Categories of individuals covered by the system:

1. Newly awarded title II disability beneficiaries referred by SSA to the SVRA for VR services.
2. Current title II disability beneficiaries who recently had a continuing disability review (CDR) and still are considered disabled, and were referred by SSA to the SVRA.
3. Newly awarded title XVI recipients who are disabled or blind and who are referred by SSA to the SVRA for VR services.
4. Current title XVI recipients who are disabled or blind who recently had a CDR and still are considered disabled or blind, and were referred by SSA to the SVRA.
   

Categories of records in the system:

  This system contains the following information about each beneficiary/recipient:

• name;
• beneficiary's or recipient's own account number (BOAN);
• claim account number (CAN);
• prior incorrect account number - in the event either SSA or the SVRA provides an incorrect account number, it will be retained for reference only;
• date of birth;
• SVRA;
• referral source - identifies source of the record (new awards or CDR continuances);
• date decision due - date ending the fourth month after the month of referral when SVRA decision is due;
• district office;
• action - identifies SSA-referred beneficiaries or recipients accepted by SVRA for VR services or placed in extended evaluation status;
• date of extended evaluation - date the SVRA placed the beneficiary or recipient in extended evaluation;
• date of final decision - date the SVRA accepted the beneficiary or recipient for services, or if in extended evaluation, date resolving extended evaluation;
• date SSA notified - date SSA informed of SVRA decision;
• control - identifies records the SVRA added to or deleted from their reports.

Authority for maintenance of the system:

 Sections 222, 223, 225, 1611, 1615, 1631 and 1633 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 422, 423, 425, 1382, 1382d, 1383, and 1383b); the Federal Records Act of 1950 (Pub. L. No. 81-754, 64 Stat. 583), as amended.

Purpose(s): 

Information in this system of records is used for the following purposes:

• to verify that disability beneficiaries and recipients who are disabled or blind are referred to the SVRA by SSA and accepted for VR services;
• to conduct statistical studies; and
• to provide management information on VR referrals.

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. Information may be disclosed to State or private alternate providers having an approved business arrangement with SSA to perform vocational rehabilitation services for SSA disability beneficiaries and recipients who are disabled or blind.
2. Information may be disclosed to contractors and other Federal agencies, as necessary, to assist SSA in the efficient administration of its programs.
3. Information may be disclosed to a congressional office in response to an inquiry from the congressional office made at the request of the subject of the record.
4. Information may be disclosed to the Department of Justice (DOJ), a court, or other tribunal, or another party before such tribunal, when:
   1. SSA, or any component thereof; or
   2. any SSA employee in his/her official capacity; or
   3. any SSA employee in his/her individual capacity when DOJ (or SSA, when it is authorized to do so) has agreed to represent the employee; or
   4. the United States or any agency thereof when 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, or the other party before the 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. Information may be disclosed to the Office of the President for responding to an individual who is the subject of the record pursuant to an inquiry received from that individual or from a third party on his or her behalf.
6. Information may be disclosed 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.
7. Nontax return information, the disclosure of which is not expressly restricted by Federal law, may be disclosed to the General Services Administration and the National Archives and Records Administration under 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906 for the use of those agencies in conducting records management studies.

Policies and practices for storing, retrieving, accessing, retaining and disposing of records in the systems:

Storage:  

SSA records may be stored in various forms including magnetic media, (e.g., magnetic tape and disc), microfilm, or paper.

Retrievability: 

Data will be retrieved from the system by the individual's SSN and/or by name.

Safeguards:  

Security measures include the use of access codes to enter the computer system which will maintain the data, and storage of the computerized records in secured areas which are accessible only to employees who require the information in performing their official duties. SSA personnel who have access to the data will be informed of the criminal penalties of the Privacy Act for unauthorized access to or disclosure of information maintained in this system.

Access to information in this system of records will be restricted to authorized SSA personnel and alternate participants. Any business arrangement that SSA may enter into with an alternate participant to access the information in this system will stipulate (a) the alternate participant must establish safeguards to protect the personal information temporarily in its custody, in accordance with the Privacy Act requirements; (b) the alternate participant may use the information only as necessary in fulfilling the business arrangement; and (c) the alternate participant would be subject to criminal penalties for violations of the Privacy Act.

Retention and disposal: 

SSA retains records for one year when they concern:

(1) documents returned to an individual,

(2) denials of requests for confidential information,

(3) release of confidential information to an authorized third party, and 

(4) undeliverable material. 

SSA retains records for four years when they concern information and evidence pertaining to coverage, wage, and self-employment determinations or when it affects future claims development, especially coverage, wage, and self-employment determinations. Information is erased or otherwise destroyed after the retention period.

Systems manager and address: 

Associate Commissioner
Office of Disability
Social Security Administration
6401 Security Boulevard
Baltimore, MD 21235

Notification procedure: 

An individual can determine if this system of records contains a record pertaining to him/her by providing his/her name, signature, and SSN to the address shown above under "Systems manager and address" and by referring to the system. (Furnishing the SSN is voluntary, but it will enable an easier and faster search for an individual's record.) If the SSN is not known, the individual should provide name, signature, date and place of birth, sex, mother's birth name, and father's name, and evidence of identity. An individual requesting notification of records in person need furnish only an identification document he/she would normally carry on his/her person (e.g., driver's license, or voter registration card). An individual requesting notification via mail or telephone must furnish a minimum of his/her name, SSN, and date of birth in order to establish identity, plus any additional information which may be requested.

Record access procedures:  

Same as notification procedures. Also, requesters should reasonably identify the record contents they are seeking.

Contesting record procedure:  

Same as notification procedures. Also, requesters should 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.

Record source categories:  

Records in this system of records are obtained from information collected by the State disability determination services when adjudicating claims for Social Security or Supplemental Security Income benefits based on disability and blindness, from SVRA responses, and from existing SSA systems of records (e.g. the Claims Folders system).

System exempted from certain provisions of the Act: 

None.

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