I was just approved 10/2011 and am up for review in 3 yrs, I'm 43 yrs old, brain injury from auto accident in 2008.

SS has received special funding to catch up on the backlog of CDR's. My CDR was sent right on schedule. I don't believe the kind of delay's that used to occur, as Gilbert mentioned, are likely to happen again--not now that SS has figured out the money saved by removing people's benefits.

Kelley, have you made a written request for a further extension, due to your injury? Is there a way to accommodate you with your reading issues? Perhaps, you could explore classes in other fields that you might enjoy as well--art classes would be one example. It would get you back in the classroom (a good thing) and you could also audit a class in your preferred field.

You're married and your husband works if I remember correctly? If so, I don't think you'll qualify for SSI.

I know that we will not qualify for ssi. I guess how things are right now with my cognitive functioning I know that I would not be able to do school, but I am not giving up hope. I wouldn't even be worrying about or considering school if I hadn't already pushed school off for a year. I guess my biggest fear is that if I go and try school that even if I am not able to do it my CDR will have negative result because of it. Thanks for all of the help!

I doubt auditing a class even counts as receiving new education or training. Taking 1 or 2 classes PT, is very different than going to school full time. Yes--you might still trigger the long form CDR, but that doesn't mean you'll lose your benefits. Things like accommodations will be factored.

My concern for you is that if improvement isn't expected, and you can't manage the reading involved to understand the Ticket to Work program, how will you complete a Bachelor's degree? Have you made an appointment for testing and accommodations at your college? Can you understand and retain information more easily by oral communication? The disability services office may offer the option to provide you with an audio version of your required reading. You can record your professor's lectures and listen to them as often as you need.

You can likely receive a longer delay. If not, you can take a class that will be easy to pass--P.E., art, cooking, a learning disabilities assessment, etc. I took a 1/2 unit credit for a few semesters that only required attending weekly lectures on everything from restorative yoga to poetry, and required a 1/2 page review of the lecture. The Disability Services office will know a good fit. Auditing would require no homework on your part--you'd receive no credit, but it would provide you a stressfree way to test your abilities.

The Ticket to Work program might be right for you as well. They might determine you're capable of a different type of work than what you have in mind though. Exploring those ideas with a counselor at college might be a little less stressful to start.

You need to prepare yourself that you might not be capable of completing your former educational goals, but that doesn't mean that you won't find a different fulfilling career. I tend to think testing your options outside the spectrum of SS's influence will give you more time and flexibility in your options--but I have no experience with the Ticket to Work program personally, so I might just be paranoid.

If it's not too personal, do you think you could be capable of working in an entry level job in something like retail? Or doing menial labor? SS doesn't care that you can't perform a job you'll like--they just want to know if you're capable of performing ANY job. If you approach things carefully, hopefully you can return to work in a job you'll be happy with!

It is true that the former commissioner decided to defer many CDR's because Congress didn't give her a big enough budget. However, in this fiscal year, CDR's and SSI redeterminations are a targeted workload, so there will be more of them and fewer pushed off to the future.