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Insights for Advocates

The Big Beautiful Bill Act is Law and the FY26 Budget Looms

We know the demand for aging support services is growing as 10,000 Americans turn 65 each day. By 2030, 1 in 5 Americans will be 65 or older. And 27 million older adults are financially vulnerable right now.

Seems like it's not a great time to make it harder for older Americans to access the programs they depend on. But what we're seeing and hearing on Capitol Hill suggests the next two months will feature more cuts to a broad swath of aging services... unless the public reacts strongly and quickly.

The Big Beautiful Bill Act

The tax and spending bill was recently signed by the president. As we noted in our statement [[link removed]] last week, the law will be hard on older adults who are already struggling.

The law adds work requirements and increased reporting burdens for Medicaid enrollees age 50-64, along with stricter eligibility requirements and time limits for nutrition assistance. Accountability is important, but these changes will cause big problems for a simple reason: most people enrolled in Medicaid are already working. As the Kaiser Family Foundation noted [[link removed]] in May:

"...in 2023, nearly two-thirds of adults ages 19-64 covered by Medicaid were working and nearly three in ten were not working because of caregiving responsibilities, illness or disability, or due to school attendance, reasons that counted as qualifying exemptions from the work requirements under previous policies."

From 75 years of working with older adults and aging services professionals, NCOA knows that the current state of benefits already discourages many eligible people from applying. These processes are perceived as confusing and can vary wildly from state to state. Additional red tape will drive more people away from the minimal help these programs provide.

Why Older Workers Don't Have Paychecks

As it turns out, older workers recently faced another setback. As of July 1, the administration has not released the funds Congress approved for the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) [[link removed]] . The result is about 25,000 older adults suddenly finding themselves without a job until the funds are flowing again.

SCSEP only funds 20 hours of work per week at the local or federal minimum wage—whichever is higher. That means participants receiving the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour are losing $580 per month.

Would you be able to accommodate such a sudden loss of income? Most American households cannot, and older adults already face more obstacles than most when trying to get a job they need to get by.

As part of the Older Americans Act, SCSEP is the only federal employment program designed specifically for older adults. It's deeply unfair that this opportunity has been snatched away from people who learned new skills and found a job in their community to help support themselves.

July 14 is a Day for Action

And so we find ourselves at a turning point. More cuts are in the administration's FY26 budget proposal [[link removed]] . Programs that do a lot of good things are often not well-known— looking at you, Older Americans Act [[link removed]] —and there are a lot of things competing for people's energy right now.

But we have a golden opportunity in front of us. Congress is about to go into its summer recess. Together, we can use that time to engage our elected officials about the importance of strengthening and protecting aging services programs.

Your voice matters , and using it to build things up is energizing and fun. Join us for a day of action on Monday, July 14.

NCOA and other leading aging organizations are excited to lead a national campaign on July 14. This date marks the 60th anniversary of the Older Americans Act (OAA) and will kick off our summer of policy-focused activity. Be part of a movement to keep aging services intact for older adults now and for future generations!

Tell members of Congress why older adults should have access to caregiver support, transportation assistance, home-delivered meals, senior centers, falls prevention programs, elder abuse and elder fraud protections, and more fueled by the Older Americans Act.
Take action for the OAA
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Educate your elected officials about the importance of helping older adults overcome the obstacles to supporting themselves. Help get funds for the Senior Community Service Employment Program flowing again and protect it from cuts in the FY26 budget.
Take action for SCSEP
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