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Sixty seven per cent of wheelchair users wait over three years in inadequate and sometimes dangerous accommodation while waiting for accessible housing.

A survey by John Grooms housing association found that 41 per cent of respondents had waited for over five years.

Common problems experienced by those who were housed in inappropriate accommodation were that they were unable to leave the house unaided and unable to use the bathroom alone.

One respondent said they had been forced to sleep on the kitchen floor until a carer visited the following day.

The association’s chief executive David Harmer said too many local authorities are simply not aware of the scale of the problem.

He added that many councils did not research the housing needs of their disabled constituents, which resulted in "wheelchair users suffering in silence for years".

"Not only are people literally imprisoned in their own homes, inappropriate housing can exacerbate current conditions or hamper the rehabilitation process."