HHS Layoffs: Meals on Wheels and Other Services Face Cuts

Source: Newsweek

Published Apr 02, 2025 at 3:40 PM EDT


The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is undergoing a sweeping reorganization that will eliminate the Administration for Community Living (ACL), the key federal office supporting millions of older adults and people with disabilities living at home.

The move, part of a broader strategy by the Trump administration to shrink the federal workforce and restructure domestic spending, threatens to disrupt services such as Meals on Wheels, adult day care, elder abuse prevention and independent living supports, according to an NPR report.

Created in 2012, the ACL merged several previously distinct programs under one umbrella to support Americans with disabilities and aging citizens outside of institutional care. Its initiatives have included distribution of more than 260 million meals annually, respite services for more than 1.5 million caregivers, and assistance for hundreds of thousands of people with disabilities.

Fred Riccardi, president of the advocacy group Medicare Rights Center, said dismantling the ACL—"the only federal agency charged with maximizing the independence, well-being and health of older adults, people with disabilities, their families and their caregivers"—would cause "irreparable damage," in a press release on March 27.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/hhs-layoffs-cuts-services-meals-wheels-2054175