‘Inhumane’ policy slammed as double amputee facing eviction prevented from joining Wicklow housing list
The Wicklow PeopleA Wicklow couple who have lived in their rented home for two decades are facing homelessness due to what Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore describes as “an inhumane and nonsensical housing policy” that blocks them from accessing social housing.
The owner of the home that they rent is selling the property in Kilcoole, leaving the elderly pair without anywhere to go.
The situation is made more urgent by the husband’s severe health challenges as he is a double amputee who has been in St Vincent’s Hospital since December.
Despite the couple’s vulnerability, Wicklow County Council is unable to offer them a place on the social housing list because eligibility is assessed on the basis of income from the previous calendar year.
Last year, the man was still working. He retired in April 2026, but under current rules, that change in circumstances cannot be taken into account until the next assessment period. As a result, the couple are locked out of the system entirely, even though their income has now fallen below the threshold.
Deputy Whitmore says the case exposes a deeper flaw in the national housing framework. She argues that the rigid reliance on previous year earnings fails to reflect the real time needs of people whose circumstances can change suddenly due to illness, disability, or retirement.
According to her, councils should have the discretion to intervene in exceptional cases rather than being forced to follow rules that produce outcomes she describes as “cruel, illogical, and completely avoidable”.
The Wicklow TD notes that this is far from an isolated incident across the county.
She says she regularly encounters older renters who have spent their lives in the private market, only to find themselves unable to access social housing when they retire.
Many must wait 12 months before they can even join the list, regardless of how precarious their situation becomes in the meantime.
Deputy Whitmore argues that this delay is particularly damaging in counties like Wicklow, where housing supply is already under severe pressure and waiting lists are long and unable to keep up with demand.
Her concern for the couple is heightened by the husband’s disability and ongoing hospitalisation. She warns that without urgent intervention, the pair could be left without a home at a time when the man requires stability, accessibility, and medical support.
“Bureaucratic red tape should not mean that a vulnerable couple becomes homeless,” she says, adding that the system is failing precisely the people it is supposed to protect.
Deputy Whitmore says she is in contact with both the couple and the council and is working to find a sustainable solution, but she insists that the underlying policy must be changed to prevent similar cases from recurring.
She argues that a more flexible, humane approach is needed, one that allows councils to respond to genuine need rather than being bound by outdated administrative rules.