Telecare and personal alarms after 2027
In brief
- Many telecare and personal alarms use the analogue phone line, which is being retired by January 2027.
- Even if the base unit appears to work, the alarm signal may not reach the monitoring centre over a digital voice connection.
- Contact your alarm provider and ask for a confirmed end-to-end test on your current line.
- If you have not been contacted about the change, do not wait. Act now.
What is a telecare or personal alarm?
A personal alarm (sometimes called telecare, a lifeline, or a social alarm) is a system that lets someone call for help by pressing a button, usually on a pendant, wristband, or pull cord. The signal goes to a base unit, which dials out, typically to a 24-hour monitoring centre or a nominated contact.
These are life-safety devices. If they stop working, the person wearing the pendant may be unable to call for help after a fall or medical emergency.
Why the landline change matters
Most older telecare base units connect via the analogue phone line, the copper line with a dial tone that plugs into a wall socket. The UK is retiring these lines by January 2027, replacing them with digital voice services that run through the broadband router.
The problem is not just the line itself. Telecare base units use special audio signalling (called Contact ID or similar protocols) to communicate with monitoring centres. These signals do not always pass reliably over digital voice connections, even if the base unit appears to work for ordinary voice calls.
The three risks
- Signalling failure: The alarm triggers, but the signal is corrupted in transit and the monitoring centre does not receive it, or receives it garbled.
- Power-cut failure: Digital voice depends on the broadband router having mains power. In a power cut, if the router is off, the base unit cannot dial out, even if it has its own battery. See will my phone work in a power cut? for the full picture.
- Silent failure: The alarm appears to be connected (green lights, no error) but the signalling path is broken. Without a proper end-to-end test, nobody knows until there is a real emergency.
What to do
1. Find out what you have
Look at the base unit (the box the pendant talks to). Follow the cable from the base unit. Where does it plug in?
- Into a phone wall socket: It uses the old analogue line. Action is needed before the line is retired.
- Into the broadband router: It may already be on a digital voice connection. Confirm with the monitoring provider that it has been tested.
- It has no cable (or has a SIM slot): It may use a mobile connection. Confirm with the provider and check mobile signal.
2. Contact the right people
Three organisations may be involved. You may need to contact all of them:
- The telecare or alarm provider (the company that supplied the base unit and pendant). Ask: "Is this model compatible with digital voice? Has it been tested end-to-end on my line?"
- The monitoring centre (the service that answers when the button is pressed). Ask: "Have you received a successful test signal from this unit recently?"
- Your phone or broadband provider (BT, Sky, Virgin Media, etc.). Tell them: "I have a telecare alarm connected to this line. What do I need to do before or after the digital voice migration?"
3. Ask about power-cut protection
If the alarm now depends on the broadband router, ask what happens in a power cut:
- Does the router have a battery backup (UPS)?
- Does the base unit have its own battery? For how long?
- Is there a mobile fallback for emergencies?
Under Ofcom's rules on landline migration, your phone provider must offer an emergency-calling solution if you rely on the landline. Ask them about it. For practical options, see battery backup basics.
4. Join the Priority Services Register
If you or someone you care for is elderly, disabled, or has a health condition that means losing phone service is a safety risk, you can join the Priority Services Register with your energy supplier and your phone or broadband provider. This means you get advance notice of planned outages and priority support during faults.
For a printable checklist you can fill in and keep, see the telecare compatibility checklist. If you are helping a relative or neighbour, see for carers and families.
Red flags to watch for
If any of these apply, act now rather than waiting for your provider to contact you.
- The base unit is plugged into the wall phone socket, not the router
- The telecare provider cannot confirm a successful end-to-end test on your current line
- The monitoring centre has not received a test signal in the last 6 months
- Your provider says the alarm "should be fine" but has not tested it
- The base unit is more than 8 years old
- The base unit has no battery backup of its own
- There is no mobile fallback if broadband or power fails
- You have full-fibre broadband but the alarm still connects via the old wall socket
- Nobody has checked the alarm since your broadband or phone provider changed
- The person wearing the pendant lives alone and has no other way to call for help
Common questions
Will my alarm still work after the change?
It depends on the model, the connection method, and whether the monitoring path has been tested. A working dial tone is not enough. The signalling protocol must be confirmed by the alarm provider.
My provider says it will be fine. Is that enough?
Ask for a confirmed, recorded end-to-end test, not just a voice call. The monitoring centre should confirm they received the test signal correctly.
What if I rent the alarm from the council?
Contact your local authority's telecare or assistive technology team. They should be planning the migration for council-provided alarms, but it is worth asking what the timeline is and whether your unit has been tested.