'Heating vs eating’: Disabled people in Mayo face tough winter after supports scrapped

Disabled people from Mayo and across Ireland have protested outside Leinster House urging the government to reintroduce emergency winter payments.

According to the Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA), disabled people are choosing between ‘heating vs eating’ in Mayo and nationwide.

"We're asking for some of the payments to be reinstated to help members to cope, basically, and just get through the next few months. It really is dire times," says Rosaleen Lally from Belmullet, who has worked for the IWA for 22 years.

"It's a testament to any country how we look after
our vulnerable and elderly. It's not a great situation,"
says Rosaleen Lally from Belmullet

The IWA has about 20,000 members nationwide. In Belmullet, Lally reports that the organisation supports up to 130 people on a daily basis, between transport, day services, and personal assistant services.

Lally points out that there are already cases of independently living disabled people who have been forced to move back in with their parents. The reason: As government supports were scrapped, they cannot pay the bills.

"This is the first year where some have decided they have to move home for a good part of the week just to save money, because they can't afford to keep their homes heated. That's a stark reality," Lally explains.

The affected people are grown-ups, well in their 30s and 40s. Not everyone might be fortunate enough to be able to live with their parents and the next option would be a nursing home.

Up until this year, in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and rising inflation, emergency winter payments for electricity have been a great help, especially for disabled people who aren't as mobile and stay home more. This in turn leads to higher electricity consumption.

This week a disability coalition held a public demonstration outside the Dáil demanding urgent action for disabled people facing rising costs and reduced supports. Members of Irish Wheelchair Association, the Disability Federation of Ireland and Access for All, came together, calling for an immediate emergency winter payment for people with disabilities.

IWA members in Mayo and across the country are deeply disappointed that Budget 2026 failed to deliver a permanent Cost of Disability Payment for people with disabilities in Ireland.

The very same budget also took away existing supports that people had relied on over the past three years, which has left thousands of people with disabilities facing increased hardship, isolation, and impossible choices between heating their homes and putting food on the table.

"It's very sad. "It's a testament to any country how we look after our vulnerable and elderly. It's not a great situation at the moment," Rosaleen Lally sighs.

A graphic shared by the Irish Wheelchair Association
displays data compiled by the organisation.

According to figures provided by the disability coalition, people with disabilities are up to €1,400 worse off in 2026 compared to last year, following the removal of once-off payments.

Ireland’s winters are getting more unpredictable and expensive. An emergency, one-off winter payment would provide essential relief and help people through the coldest months. Disability poverty doesn’t happen by accident.

It’s the result of a system that fails to recognise the real costs of living with a disability, claims IWA. Budget 2026 should have been the turning point – instead, it has turned backwards, the organisation concludes.

Every day across the county IWA staff are meeting members who need to prioritise electricity for their medical equipment; powerchairs, hoists etc.

This consistently raises their electricity bills and so people try to reduce their heating or food costs to compensate. But many of IWA’s members use wheelchairs or have limited mobility and need extra heat because they cannot move around freely to stay warm.

Everyday IWA staff are visiting members across the county who are choosing to leave their heat off even though they are cold. Ireland’s villages and towns are very inaccessible for wheelchair users so as a society we force many people to spend more time at home and then their electricity and heating costs increase. 

And a 2025 ESRI report finds disabled people face extra costs in the range of €488-€555 on average a week. According to a 2024 CSO report people with disabilities have high consistent poverty rates, nearly four times higher (19%) than the national average (5%).

Many of IWA members or their families have worked all their lives, paid taxes but now are at risk because of a health issue in the family.

How can a developed country and civilised government take away supports and exclude this community from budget increases now that they need it?

Irish Wheelchair Association is campaigning for the government to introduce an emergency winter payment of 400 euro to match the disability support grant that was cut in the last budget. The government also needs to reinstate the energy credits they removed in Budget 2026. These credits need to be targeted at those at risk of energy poverty, like disabled people, to ensure homes remain warm and habitable.

The IWA are asking people in Mayo to contact their local TDs and representatives for support this campaign for an Emergency Winter Payment. More information here.

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