The one time payment would be a big change from 5.8 percent cost of living adjustment that federal-military-Social Security retirees got in January of this year. It was the largest COLA in years and reflected higher costs driven by oil prices. But times have changed...

Because living costs have been flat, or actually decreased, over the past 12 months, the automatic COLA for retirees in 2010 will be 0. As in Zero. Nothing!

This makes many retirees unhappy, especially when they learn that active duty federal workers (outside of the postal service) will get getting a pay raise as usual in January. President Obama has set the amount at 2 percent and Congress isn't likely to tamper with it. Pay raises, as opposed to retiree increases, are not linked to inflation.

Regular retirees learned is this fact earlier this year. But for most of the zeroed out retirees (the one in every six Americans who get Social Security payments), the alarm bell is just sounding.

While many retirees, particularly CSRS retirees who are on inflation-indexed benefits for life, not getting a raise is actually a blessing. If you believe the Consumer Price Index, it means that many important things, things we need and use (like food) cost less now than they did this time last year. A little deflation, as long as annuities are not cut accordingly, is a good thing. It means lots of stuff is on sale if you have the money to buy it.

But for lower-income retirees, and those with heavy bills, getting a COLA has become essential.

To the rescue comes Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY). She's introduced a bill that would give every Social Security recipient a one-time $150 payment next year. For some people it's not worth tracking. But for others, the every-little-bit-helps crowd, that would be welcome (also taxable) money!

Most federal and postal retirees get some kind of Social Security payment. So they would automatically get the $150 provided Congress okays it. Because Social Security is the third rail of American politics (touch it and you die!) it is hard to imagine anybody voting against it. Even if they think it is a lousy idea.

But there are about 200,000 federal retirees (those covered by the old Civil Service Retirement System) who don't get Social Security benefits. They weren't required to pay into Social Security while in federal service and in most cases they get higher, often much higher, annuities under the CSRS system than they would have under Social Security. While some get Social Security benefits (often reduced because of the windfall or offset formulas) based on Social Security-covered employment, others don't.

The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association is revving up its powerful grass-roots lobbying engine to make sure all retirees get the $150 payment. It's telling its members to contact their man or woman in Congress to support the McCarthy bill. The number of the bill, whether you think it would mean Congress is tossing seniors a lifeline or a bone, is H.R. 3536. For details on the "Social Security COLA Fix for 2010 Act" from Rep. McCarthy, click here.

Nearly Useless Factoid
by Suzanne Kubota

Fish off the British coast have fallen prey to a horrific parasite that eats the fish's tongue and then replaces it with itself. Fortunately, io9.com reports, it doesn't eat human tongues -- yet. (Caution: link leads to a photo that gave me nightmares. It may affect you the same way.)

To reach me: mcausey@federalnewsradio.com