Personal Alarms: Pendant Alarms and Council Telecare
Last checked November 2026. Offers and rules change: confirm with the provider before you rely on them.
A personal alarm lets you call for help at the press of a button worn on your wrist or round your neck. The main choices are between a monitored alarm, answered day and night by a response centre, and a cheaper family-alert alarm that rings your relatives. Whichever you choose, make sure it will work on a digital phone line.
Who they help
People who live alone or spend long periods by themselves, anyone who has fallen or feels unsteady, people with a long-term health condition, and those coming home from hospital. They also give a good deal of reassurance to families. An alarm does not prevent a fall, but it can stop a fall turning into hours on the floor.
Main types
Monitored home alarms (telecare)
A base unit in your home with a loudspeaker and microphone, plus a waterproof button worn as a pendant or wristband. Press the button and the base unit calls a monitoring centre staffed 24 hours a day. The operator talks to you through the unit, sees your details on screen, and calls your named contacts or the emergency services as needed. If you cannot speak, they send help anyway.
Family-alert (unmonitored) alarms
The button dials or texts a list of relatives or friends in turn instead of a call centre. There is usually no monthly fee beyond any SIM card costs. The weakness is plain: if nobody answers, nobody comes.
Mobile (GPS) alarms
A pendant, fob or watch with its own mobile SIM and satellite location, so it works in the garden, at the shops or on a walk and can show responders where you are. They need regular charging, typically every few days.
Fall detectors
A pendant or wristband that senses a hard fall and raises the alarm automatically, useful if you might be knocked out or too dazed to press a button. They are not perfect: a slow slide to the floor may not trigger one, and knocks sometimes cause false alarms. See also fall detection watches.
Monitored or family-alert?
| Monitored | Family-alert | |
|---|---|---|
| Who answers | Trained operators, 24 hours a day | Whoever is on your list, if they pick up |
| Ongoing cost | Weekly or monthly fee | Little or none |
| Best for | People living alone, higher risk of falls, family far away or often unavailable | Family close by who can reliably answer and come round |
The digital landline switchover
The UK's old analogue landline network is being replaced by digital lines that run over broadband. Phone companies are moving customers over, and at the time of writing (November 2026) the government and industry say the changeover is due to be complete by the end of January 2027. This matters a great deal for alarms:
- Older, analogue alarm units were designed for the old network. Some do not work, or do not work reliably, on a digital line.
- A digital landline stops working in a power cut unless there is a battery back-up, and so does an alarm that depends on it.
- Modern "digital" alarms avoid the problem by using a built-in mobile SIM (often one that roams across several networks) with a back-up battery, so they need no landline at all.
What to do:
- If you already have an alarm, tell your phone or broadband provider that you use a telecare alarm, before any switch. Providers have agreed not to move telecare users without checking their alarm will work afterwards.
- Ask your alarm provider whether your unit is digital-ready and whether it will be replaced.
- If buying new, choose a digital alarm with its own SIM and battery back-up.
- Test your alarm after any change to your phone or broadband, and monthly in any case.
Our guide to the landline digital switchover explains the change step by step.
What to look for
- Digital-ready with battery back-up, as above.
- A button you will actually wear — light, comfortable, waterproof for the bath and shower, where many falls happen.
- Range — does the button reach the base unit from the garden and every room?
- Quality standards — ask whether the provider is certified by the TEC Services Association (TSA), the industry body, to its quality standards framework.
- Contract terms — minimum period, notice, price rises, and what happens to the equipment if you cancel.
- Who responds — you normally need two or three nearby key holders. Some services offer a paid responder who comes out if you have none.
Rough price guide
- Family-alert alarm, bought outright: around £40 to £150, plus any SIM costs.
- Monitored home alarm: commonly from around £15 to £30 a month, sometimes with a set-up fee.
- Mobile GPS alarm or fall detector with monitoring: often around £20 to £35 a month.
These are rough guides only; council schemes may be cheaper. If you have a long-term illness or disability, alarm equipment and monitoring designed for disabled people can qualify for VAT relief; ask the provider.
Council telecare
Most councils run or commission a community alarm service, often called telecare, careline or lifeline. Some charge a weekly fee to everyone; some provide it free or at reduced cost following a needs assessment, or for a few weeks after a hospital stay. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, arrangements are made by the council or health and social care trust and vary by area. You can apply for a community alarm through GOV.UK, which takes you to your own council's service. Age UK and other charities also offer alarm services.
Mistakes to avoid
- Leaving the pendant on the bedside table or hanging on a door handle. It only works if you are wearing it.
- Not pressing it "because I don't want to be a nuisance". Operators would far rather you called.
- Having an alarm but no way for helpers to get in. Fit a key safe.
Common questions
Do I need a landline for a personal alarm?
No. Modern digital alarms use a built-in mobile SIM and work without any landline or broadband.
Will my existing alarm work after the digital switchover?
It depends on the unit. Contact both your alarm provider and your phone provider now and ask. Do not assume.
Can I wear the pendant in the shower?
Most pendants and wristbands are made to be worn in the bath or shower; check the product details for yours.
What happens if I press it by mistake?
Just tell the operator it was an accident. It is a useful test, and nobody minds.