Clarification on Social Security: Congress did not act to specifically not pay a cost of living adjustment (COLA). The COLA is determined by specific criteria set up years ago (don't remember when). The price index info currently used simply does a mathematical computation and produces the result that it did for this year.
On the good news front, there is proposed legislation to change the formula in such a way that there would have been a COLA increase this year. Lean on your reps in Congress and ask them where they stand.