Good enough to win a WorldCup in the green of Ireland and good enough to represent his country at the Rio Paralympics, but still excluded from buying his own home. The very frustrating treatment of Damien Vereker and his family seems an injustice that needs addressing.
Paralympian Vereker unable to buy house due to blind pension
Irish Paralympian Damien Vereker and his family are being denied the right to buy the house they have lived in for 20 years because they draw the blind pension.
While they have lived at the property in Waterford and paid the rent from their blind pensions, the same income is not accepted on a mortgage application.
The couple say that along with both their blind pensions they could easily make the mortgage repayments.
And they have also said that their daughter, with her income alone, could also pay the mortgage.
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But because blind pensions count as income to pay rent but not to pay mortgages, the Verekers’ mortgage application has not been accepted.
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And so their plan to buy their house has been derailed, in what seem like very unjust circumstances.
Damien Vereker rode the Rio Paralympics for Ireland with and sighted tandem pilot Sean Hahessy.
And earlier in 2016, with pilot Marcin Mizgajski, he claimed gold in the men’s ‘B’ road race at the UCI Paracycling Road World Cup in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.
However, his and his wife Jenny’s sound financial footing, not to mention representing Ireland to Paralympic level, have to date counted for little in their bid to simply purchase their house under a scheme that is supposed to enable long-term renters to buy.
Jenny Vereker spoke to Waterford radio station WLR about the family’s unfortunate frustration with their mortgage application.
“The guidelines are you have to have €15,000 income, which we meet with our pensions,” she said.
“And also, Alannah meets it on her own without our income added together, she meets that €15,000.
“So there’s an income of over €30,000 coming into the house but we still can’t bite.”
Sinn Féin Councillor John Hearne has called for the law to change in order to remedy the exclusion of blind pensions, and other similar payments, from mortgage eligibility.
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