Newsroom
A disabled woman and her husband say they are trapped in degrading living conditions without running water, struggling to survive on a tight income while waiting for help they say never comes, the latest case raising questions about whether the state safety net is failing the people it was built to protect.
Inside their rented home, the scene is stark. The woman lies in a bed positioned directly by the front door. The air is heavy with a strong odor, the space cluttered and unsanitary. Photos and video shared publicly show a residence in disrepair, with basic hygiene and livability standards visibly lacking.
The husband says their situation spiraled after authorities cut off their allowance because their son found a job. But he insists that decision ignored a key fact: their son no longer lives with them and rents a home of his own.
Now the couple is left trying to stretch a monthly income of €1,143, while paying €950 in rent.
“That’s almost everything we have,” he said, describing their finances as a daily fight to get by.
Their troubles don’t end there. Their water supply has been cut off, and they’re facing an €800 bill linked to losses from a leak, adding yet another burden to a household already on the brink.
Despite arrangements for caregiver visits, the couple says their living conditions have continued to deteriorate. The husband argues that officials should have intervened long ago, especially given his wife’s disability and their financial hardship.
The case is the latest to spark criticism of social support services in Cyprus, where rising rents and cost-of-living pressures have intensified scrutiny over whether vulnerable residents are receiving timely assistance.
