Whitmore Calls For Emergency Winter Payment For Disabled

Emer Begley (Disability Federation of Ireland), Cllr Caroline Winstanley, Jennifer Whitmore TD, Kayleigh McKevitt (Access For All), Joan Carty (Irish Wheelchair Association)

atest press release from Jennifer Whitmore TD, issued on Wednesday, January 14th 2026…

Social Democrats TD for Wicklow, Jennifer Whitmore, is calling on the Government to introduce the Emergency Winter Payment for people with disabilities following a briefing in the Dáil today which she attended alongside Social Democrats Councillor for Bray East, Caroline Winstanley.

With 35,484 people in Wicklow living with at least one disability, this issue needs urgent attention.

“Today, I attended a very important briefing organised by my Social Democrat colleagues in the Dáil. We heard from representatives from the Disability Federation of Ireland, Access for All Ireland, the Irish Wheelchair Association, Family Carers Ireland, EOPD, and Vision Ireland about the urgent need for an Emergency Winter Payment for People with Disabilities, a measure that would support an estimated 250,000 people across Ireland, 35,000 of whom live in County Wicklow,” Deputy Whitmore explained.

“Disabled people face some of the greatest barriers to full participation in Irish society and are at significantly higher risk of poverty, social exclusion, and unemployment. This winter, seasonal cost pressures have become unsustainable, particularly as Budget 2026 failed to include a Cost of Disability payment.”

According to analysis by these organisations, people with disabilities will be €1,400 worse off in 2026 compared to last year, as key once-off supports have been removed. The annual cost of living with a disability is estimated at €10,766–€15,221, and one in five people with disabilities live in consistent poverty. When the cost of a disability is factored in, the “real” poverty risk for people with disabilities lies between 65%-76%. In terms of energy poverty, 13.6% of people who are unable to work due to a disability cannot heat their homes, and 19% of them are in arears on their utility bills.

“My Social Democrats colleague, Councillor for Bray West Caroline Winstanley, has long been working on this issue and has repeatedly emphasised to me that any once off disability payment must be followed by sustained policy action. The most recent census, from 2022, tells us that 23% of the population of Wicklow have a disability, and the Disability Federation of Ireland confirmed that figure again in 2024, stating that 35,484 people in Wicklow have at least one disability. This issue is hugely important nationally, but also for our own constituency,” Deputy Whitmore noted.

Speaking after the briefing, Councillor Winstanley highlighted that: “While an Emergency Winter Payment would provide immediate relief, it is only a short-term measure. The reality is that the additional costs faced by people with disabilities are structural and year-round. This payment will go a long way toward easing the pressure of rising energy bills and seasonal expenses, but it does not address the underlying inequality or the absence of a permanent Cost of Disability payment.”

Deputy Whitmore continued: “I am deeply grateful to these organisations for outlining the real and immediate challenges faced by disabled people. Their message is clear – urgent action is needed to ensure that people with disabilities are not left behind during this cost-of-living crisis. I’d like to sincerely thank them for coming in to speak to us today in the Dáil, and my party colleagues for organising this event.”

“We cannot allow another winter to pass without addressing these inequities,” concluded Whitmore.

“I am calling on the Government to act now and introduce an Emergency Winter Payment for people with disabilities, and to take the next step by implementing a permanent Cost of Disability payment.”