Personal Alarms UK: 2026 Costs & Buying Guide

What is a personal alarm?

A personal alarm (also called a pendant alarm, telecare alarm or lifeline) lets someone who lives alone call for help at the press of a button. Most are worn as a pendant or wristband and connect to a base unit or a mobile network. When the button is pressed, the alarm calls a 24/7 monitoring centre. Staff talk to the person, decide whether emergency services are needed, and contact family or a named key holder.

Falls are the most common reason families look at alarms. The Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Trust says around a third of people aged 65 and over, and around half of people aged 80 and over, fall at least once a year.

Types of personal alarm

Some GPS alarms work poorly indoors. Taking Care, for example, says its GO GPS alarm is not recommended for people who spend most of their time at home. If someone is mostly at home, a home unit with a pendant is usually the better choice.

For more detail, see our guides to fall alarms for elderly people, covering how automatic fall detection works and what it can miss, and GPS trackers for people with dementia, covering safe-zone alerts and consent.

How much does a personal alarm cost?

Which? gives these typical ranges for UK alarms:

Published prices from UK providers

Prices as shown on each provider’s website in October 2026. Some providers show prices without VAT because most customers qualify for VAT relief (see below), so check whether a price includes VAT.

Council alarm charges

Many councils run their own lifeline service. Charges are usually about £4–£6.50 a week, often with free installation. Some examples:

A key safe is worth budgeting for. It is a small locked box fixed outside the home that holds a spare key, so a responder can get in if the person cannot reach the door. Councils typically charge about £65–£86 to supply and fit one, and some require a key safe or a key holder.

Can you get VAT relief on a personal alarm?

Yes, if the user is disabled or has a long-term illness. HMRC (VAT Notice 701/7, section 7.1) allows an emergency alarm system designed for disabled people to be zero-rated, along with the monitoring centre’s service. In this notice, “disabled” means disabled or with a chronic illness. Age alone does not qualify, and Which? notes that a temporary disability does not count either.

To claim, you sign a short written declaration for the provider confirming eligibility. Providers say most of their customers qualify: about 94% for Age UK/Taking Care and about 95% for Telecare24. VAT relief does not apply to ordinary burglar alarms, CCTV or standard phones.

The digital switchover: check older alarms now

The UK is moving landlines from the old analogue network (PSTN) to digital. The current deadline for the switch is 31 January 2027, and the industry body TSA said in July 2026 that it expects no delay.

This matters for alarms. Which? estimates about 1.8 million UK households rely on telecare, and warns that analogue alarms “may not work reliably” once the old network is closed. In its tests, analogue devices on digital lines failed between 2.3% and 11.5% of calls.

• Buying a new alarm? Look for one described as “digital”, “digital-ready”, “IP” or “VoIP-compatible”, or one that uses a mobile SIM. Avoid devices that only mention an “analogue phone line” or “PSTN”.
• Already have an alarm? Tell your landline provider that someone in the home uses a telecare alarm. Under the government-backed Telecare Charter, the phone company is responsible for keeping it working through the switch, and providers offer free engineer visits and battery back-up where needed.
• Not sure what you have? Ask your alarm provider or council whether the base unit is digital.

Getting an alarm through your council

If you think you or a relative needs care or support at home, you can ask your local council’s adult social services for a needs assessment. The NHS says the assessment is free and anyone can ask for one, by phone or online. It can lead to equipment such as a personal alarm.

Councils work in different ways. Some only provide alarms after an assessment; others, such as Crawley and Cheltenham, let anyone apply directly. Some offer the service free to people who qualify for council-funded care. Search your council’s website for “lifeline”, “careline” or “telecare”.

How to choose a personal alarm

1. Think about where help is needed. Mostly at home: a home unit and pendant. Out and about: GPS. Both: a plan that combines them.
2. Decide on fall detection. It costs a few pounds more each month but raises the alarm if the person cannot press the button.
3. Check it is digital-ready for the 2027 switchover.
4. Compare the total cost: setup fee, monthly fee, VAT, any minimum term, and whether equipment is rented or bought.
5. Ask who responds. Most services call named contacts; some councils offer a mobile responder who can visit (usually at a higher weekly charge).
6. Plan for access: a key safe or a nearby key holder.
7. Check the cancellation terms and any money-back guarantee.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources

• Which? – Personal alarms: costs and types
• Which? – Protecting telecare users in the shift from analogue to digital (Aug 2025)
• HMRC – VAT Notice 701/7: reliefs for disabled and older people
• GOV.UK – UK transition from analogue to digital landlines
• GOV.UK – Moving landlines to digital technologies
• TSA – Formal statement on digital switchover (July 2026)
• NHS – Getting a needs assessment
• NNUH NHS Trust – Falls programme
• Age UK – Personal alarms
• Careline365 – Plans
• Telecare24
• West Northamptonshire Council – Lifeline
• Crawley Borough Council – Lifeline emergency alarm service
• Cheltenham Borough Council – Lifeline alarm service

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