Ukrainians in Ireland may lose their housing or social benefits
Some Ukrainians in Ireland under temporary protection may face a choice between public housing and social benefits. 121 civil society organizations have spoken out about the potential consequences of the government’s planned changes and called on the authorities to reconsider the new rules.
It is noted that the changes could most significantly affect Ukrainians with disabilities who live in public housing under the temporary protection program.
According to the Ukrainian Civil Society Forum, the new measures could force people to choose between keeping their public housing and receiving social assistance.
In their appeal, the civil society organizations emphasize that simultaneously cutting state housing support and payments to families hosting Ukrainian refugees would be “extremely destructive, counterproductive, and re-traumatizing” for people who have already endured the war.
Of particular concern are potential changes to the Disability Allowance.
According to the civil society organizations, some Ukrainians may be forced to officially waive this benefit in order to retain their right to live in public housing.
At the same time, as coalition representatives note, people are receiving conflicting explanations:
- some are told that receiving certain social benefits may affect their right to remain in public housing;
- others are told that the mere fact of living in public housing could affect their ability to receive social assistance.
The appeal also states that Ukrainians who remain in public housing may be relocated to other regions of Ireland.
Civil society organizations warn that this could lead to:
- loss of access to familiar medical services;
- the termination of specialized assistance for people with disabilities;
- the breakdown of established social support networks.
Separately, the authors of the appeal emphasize the risk of family separation.
If a person with a disability is allowed to remain in public housing, but their relatives—who provide daily care—are required to move, this could seriously disrupt the informal care system.
According to representatives of the civil society sector, such changes could negatively affect the most vulnerable Ukrainians who have found refuge in Ireland since the start of the full-scale war.
This was reported by RTE.
As of April 30, 2026, there were 5.762 million Ukrainian refugees worldwide, excluding Russia. Most of them—5.213 million people—were in European countries, while another 549,000 were outside Europe.
The Georgian government has extended its support programs for Ukrainian citizens who were forced to leave their homes due to the war. Financial assistance for housing and monthly payments will remain in effect until October 1, 2026. Ukrainians currently in Georgia due to the war will also continue to have access to the medical assistance program.
