A paralysed man from Llanidloes has been “made prisoner” at home after being allocated unadapted social housing.

During the first two weeks in the house, Stephen Dyke was forced to soil himself and live on takeaways from being unable to access his bathroom or kitchen with his wheelchair, “I had a breakdown... I was using alcohol as a coping mechanism”.

Social services have done “hardly anything” apart from removing the doors - this still leaves Stephen using a too-small wheelchair, causing constant pain and pressure ulcers.

With 400,000 wheelchair users currently in unsuitable housing, Stephen and charity Spinal Injuries Association (SIA) are calling on the Welsh government to pledge 150,000 wheelchair-accessible homes.

Stephen, 55, said: “I would be financially better off in prison.

“At least I wouldn’t have to pay for food. I’m trying to help myself, but I’ve got no way forward.

“It’s completely wrong. People are living like me, and we’ve got no control. The help you get is very limited, and it seems ludicrous to me.”

Stephen’s life changed after he collapsed in his kitchen in 2024, waking up paralysed from the neck down: “I spent six days on the floor without water or food. I was very close to death when my friend found me.”

One of Stephen’s discs was pressing into his spinal cord, causing him to lose all function from the chest down.

After emergency decompression surgery and 10 months in hospital, he regained movement in his arms, using a wheelchair for mobility.

While his progress was remarkable, Stephen lost his rented accommodation while hospitalised, leaving him homeless: “I lost everything. The only stuff I had were the clothes and things that I bought in hospital.”

Stephen was allocated an unadapted bungalow through social housing, leaving Stephen to contend with narrow doorways, a bathroom too small to navigate, and a ramp that is too steep to self-propel.

When he first arrived, the kitchen door only opened 45 degrees, meaning he had no access at all. He said: “Social services closed the case because they say they can’t do anything.”

SIA is calling for the government to include wheelchair-accessible homes as part of their pledge to build 1.5m homes by 2029.

A SIA spokesperson said: “Sadly we hear all too often of similar dangerous and unacceptable cases.

“No one should become a prisoner in their own home.

“With long waiting lists, the need for fully adapted housing is urgent.

“A home is the foundation of our lives, and we all should be able to live in a home that benefits our health and wellbeing.”

Powys County Council said, though it wouldn’t comment on individual cases, “our teams work hard alongside health and social care professionals, housing associations and specialist services to support residents as best we can within the resources and housing options available”.

Welsh government said they were “committed to improving accessibility in social housing”, allocating £25.5m in capital grants for housing adaptations for 2026/27, supporting local authorities and housing associations to adapt existing homes.