Significant staff reductions at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) could dramatically impact two programs that impact the lives of seniors and lower-income families – Meals on Wheels and the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).
The layoffs, particularly impacting the Administration for Community Living (ACL), have created uncertainty about the future of essential services, including Meals on Wheels.
The Trump administration has embarked on a drastic reduction of the federal workforce. HHS confirmed it has terminated 10,000 staff through Reduction-in-Force (RIF), with another 10,000 expected to leave through early retirement or buyout schemes. The goal is to downsize the agency to 62,000 employees.
Former ACL Director Alison Barkoff says approximately 40% of the agency’s staff received layoff notices. ACL, which coordinates federal policy on aging and disability, funds programs that support senior centers and distribute 216 million meals annually through Meals on Wheels.
“There’s no way to have these RIFs and not impact the programs and the people who rely on them,” Barkoff said.
“Although at this time, we have not seen a direct impact on the Meals on Wheels program, based on the limited resources available and the growing demand for services, we are having to scale back in the months to come,” said Katherine Rupp, director of marketing and communications for Interfaith Ministries which sponsors Meals on Wheels.
Rupp says the Meals on Wheels program is much more than providing meals.
“Our assessors and drivers offer assistance to our seniors with day-to-day needs related to health care, accessing resources and benefits, staying connected and addressing any individual issues they may have.” she said.
HHS previously announced that ACL’s responsibilities would be redistributed within the department. However, this follows the Heritage Foundation’s Project 2025 proposal, which suggested ACL take on special education services after the potential dismantling of the Department of Education. The current plan for these responsibilities remains unclear.
Additionally, the entire staff of the Division of Energy Assistance was laid off, according to former employees Andrew Germain and Vikki Pretlow. This division administers the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which assists 5.9 million low-income households with heating and cooling costs and energy efficiency improvements.
The Missouri Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) has two components: Energy Assistance/Regular Heating (EA) and Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP). EA is designed to provide financial assistance to help pay heating bills for Missourians.
EA is now available from October through September. Eligibility requirements for EA are based on income, household size, available resources, and responsibility for payment of home heating costs. Eligibility for EA may also qualify individuals for additional financial assistance through ECIP.
Through LIHEAP, the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis is able to help more than 15,000 families in St. Louis City and Wellston.
“Ultimately, I believe the program will crumble from within without the federal office there to manage it,’ said former Fiscal Director Andrew Germain.
“You’re talking about individuals who rely on crisis assistance… to keep the power on, whether for a medical reason or some other potentially life-threatening purpose.”
Concerns have been raised about LIHEAP’s future, as funding is set to expire in September, coinciding with the onset of winter heating needs. Germain, who oversaw compliance monitoring, expressed uncertainty about the program’s continuation without federal oversight.
He also addressed past scrutiny from Project 2025, which had pointed out a now-corrected “loophole” related to SNAP benefits. Congress allocated $4.1 billion to LIHEAP for the 2024 fiscal year.
“We need the support of our community – individuals, corporations and local entities,” Rupp said.
“Currently, Interfaith Ministries (IM) is supplementing the cost of this program by 30% and if there are additional cuts, IM will not be able to sustain the current level of operation, nor accommodate the over 500 seniors who are currently on a waiting list.”
Alvin A. Reid of the St. Louis American contributed to this report
This story originally appeared here.