Sorry, Grandma. The government spent your money on bank bailouts.

Now it's official: For the first time since the low-inflation '70s, there will be no increase in Social Security or disability benefits.

That's because - according to official numbers - there has been no inflation in the past year. All that inflation is just a figment of our imaginations, you see. (Better up the Trilafon!)

Consumer prices have leveled off over the past few months, but were still skyrocketing through the end of last year. (See a pattern here?) Fact is, last year's soaring costs haven't been offset by later trends.

Big banks and insurers got a cost-of-living increase in the form of massive taxpayer-funded bailouts. Yet if you're disabled or elderly, you don't get anything.

Thankfully, President Obama seems to recognize that the inflation numbers are misleading, as he supports a one-time extra payment of $250 for Americans who receive these benefits. Already, people who must rely on benefits can barely make ends meet even if they spend their checks only on food, rent, and electricity. This is especially stinging because most of them have already paid into the system.

Obama's stance is an improvement, because we all know what would have happened under Bush. Not only would there not be this $250 extra check for people who get benefits. Everyone else would get $250, but people on Social Security or disability wouldn't. (Remember the "rebate" debacles?)

(Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jWbDrKBPDcOvEPhXT9GeIzB4ijLQD9BBHCMO3)