Living Well at Home UKClear, practical guidance for later life
Buying guide

By Does Your Duck Quack

Personal alarms without a landline: digital and mobile options

Compare mobile and broadband personal alarms, check the digital landline switchover, coverage, backup power and who responds to an alert.

Checked: 2 October 2026 · Next review: 2 April 2027 · Applies to: UK, with nation notes
How this guide was prepared

Purpose: decision guidance · Level: detailed

Checked by: Does Your Duck Quack. Sources are linked below; seek professional advice for individual circumstances.

The short answer

What to do first

Compare mobile and broadband personal alarms, check the digital landline switchover, coverage, backup power and who responds to an alert.

Start here: If a home has a pendant, telecare alarm, health monitor or other device connected to a landline, tell the telephone provider and device supplier before the line is changed. Ask each to confirm in writing whether the existing unit will work, what adapter or replacement is needed, and who arranges testing. Do not assume the alarm company has been told by the broadband provider. Keep the current service active until the new connection and alert path have been tested.

Visual guides

See the decision at a glance

Personal alarm call journey
  1. Alert sentA button press or supported automatic detector sends an alert through the configured connection.
  2. Contact attemptedA monitoring centre or chosen contact tries to speak with the person and checks the response plan.
  3. Help arrangedA keyholder, carer, family member or emergency service is contacted according to need.
  4. Event reviewedRecord what happened, reset the device and update contacts or the plan when necessary.
Alarm device comparison
  1. Home pendantSimple button linked to a home base; check range, shower use and power backup.
  2. Mobile alarmWorks beyond the home using a mobile network; check coverage, charging and location features.
  3. Automatic detectorMay recognise some falls without a button press, but can miss falls or create false alerts.
Alarm coverage map
  1. Test indoorsBedroom, bathroom, stairs, kitchen and rooms behind closed doors.
  2. Test outsideGarden, entrance, bins, drive and any regular nearby route the service claims to cover.
  3. Record gapsMark places with weak speech or signal and ask the provider for a safe solution.
Power-cut backup plan
  1. Know the backup timeAsk how long the base unit and connection should work without mains power and how faults are signalled.
  2. Keep contacts availableWrite down provider, keyholder and urgent-help numbers where they can be reached without the alarm.
  3. Test after restorationWhen power and connection return, check the device status and make a permitted test call.

Scope of this guide

This guide helps you understand the options and questions to ask. It is not personal medical, legal or financial advice. Check the official sources for your nation and seek qualified help for high-stakes decisions.

Who this guide is for

For people whose personal alarm must work without a traditional phone line, and household members planning the move to digital landline services.

A personal alarm without a landline may connect through mobile networks, broadband or a combined system. The right choice depends on signal in the rooms used, power resilience, whether the person goes outdoors and who receives an alert. The UK is moving landline calls to digital technology, so any existing alarm that uses a phone line needs a compatibility check before a service change.

How to compare your options

1. Tell both the phone provider and alarm supplier

If a home has a pendant, telecare alarm, health monitor or other device connected to a landline, tell the telephone provider and device supplier before the line is changed. Ask each to confirm in writing whether the existing unit will work, what adapter or replacement is needed, and who arranges testing. Do not assume the alarm company has been told by the broadband provider. Keep the current service active until the new connection and alert path have been tested.

2. Compare mobile, broadband and hybrid connections

A mobile alarm may have its own SIM and work away from home, while a broadband alarm depends on the router, internet service and power. A hybrid system may switch connection types if one fails. Ask which networks it uses, whether coverage has been tested inside the home, what happens during an internet or electricity outage and whether backup batteries are included. A phone’s signal bars in one room do not prove that a wearable alarm will connect from a bathroom or garden.

3. What to look for when choosing

Check the wearable range, water resistance, battery and charging arrangement, two-way speech, alert button, monitoring hours, manual test process and response sequence. Ask whether the unit is compatible with the exact broadband or digital phone setup, what router settings are required, whether an engineer visit is included and who supports faults. Confirm how the service works after a power cut, mobile outage or router replacement, and whether the system sends an automatic fault alert. Ask for full installation, equipment, monitoring, data and cancellation costs in writing.

4. Set up contacts, access and consent

Choose who answers alerts and make sure the person using the alarm agrees with the plan. For a monitoring centre, ask how it escalates when speech is not possible; for family contacts, check availability and backup cover. Confirm whether responders can get into the home and whether a key safe is part of the plan. Explain communication, hearing or memory needs. Practise a test call and make sure contacts know how to distinguish a real alert from a routine test.

5. Ask about public provision, trials and purchase rights

A council, housing provider or NHS service may assess someone for telecare, but provision and charges differ locally. Ask before paying privately. HMRC allows VAT relief for an emergency alarm-call system designed for a disabled person to alert a specified person or call centre, when used personally or domestically and its conditions are met; a standard phone or alarm is not automatically VAT-free. A DFG supports eligible adaptations to a home, not generally an alarm subscription. Where available, try the wearable and controls before committing. Avoid urgent doorstep sales; qualifying distance or off-premises purchases usually include a 14-day cancellation right, subject to exceptions. Faulty equipment remains covered by consumer law.

6. Test after every service change

Arrange a full end-to-end test before the landline migration, after installation and after a router, provider, phone number or contact change. Ask the monitoring centre to confirm receipt rather than relying on a light or tone. Keep written instructions near the base unit and a temporary alternative call plan. Ofcom says customers using a telecare alarm should tell both their phone provider and device supplier; contact the provider if the switchover could leave the household without a working alarm. Do not disconnect an old unit until the replacement has passed its test.

Questions before deciding

Common questions

Will my personal alarm work after the digital switchover?

It depends on the alarm, connection and provider. Tell both the landline company and the alarm supplier before the service changes, and ask for written compatibility advice. Arrange an end-to-end test after any adapter, router or replacement unit is installed. Keep the old service until the new alert path is confirmed.

Can a personal alarm work without broadband?

Some devices use a mobile network or their own SIM, while others rely on broadband or a telephone connection. Ask which connection the exact device uses, whether signal reaches the places where it will be worn and what happens during an outage. A supplier should explain coverage testing and backup arrangements.

What happens to a telecare alarm in a power cut?

The answer depends on the unit and monitoring service. Ask whether the base has a battery, how long it is designed to operate, whether the centre receives a fault notice and how to charge a mobile pendant. Agree a temporary way to contact someone if the unit loses power. A digital landline itself also needs mains electricity unless suitable backup is provided.

Who should I tell about the landline change?

Tell the telephone provider and the telecare or alarm supplier, even if you think they share information. Ask each to confirm compatibility, installation responsibility and the testing plan. If the person is in supported housing or receives a council alarm service, tell that service as well. Keep the written confirmations with the alarm instructions.

Does a mobile alarm work away from home?

Some are designed for use outside, but coverage, location functions, water resistance, battery life and monitoring arrangements vary. Ask the supplier to demonstrate where it works and what responders receive if the user cannot speak. Test it on the journeys and in the places the person actually uses. Confirm the plan if the device is not charged or the user goes beyond coverage.

Before you act

Write down the outcome you want, the names and dates involved, and the evidence or documents you already have. Ask for important decisions, costs and next steps in writing. If information is unclear, ask which nation’s rules are being used and when the decision will be reviewed.

If there is a delay or disagreement

Keep a short factual record of calls, letters and missed actions. Ask for the responsible person, the written reasons, the complaints or review route and any deadline. Immediate health or safety risks should be escalated separately rather than waiting for a routine complaint.

Differences across the UK

The landline migration is a UK-wide change managed through communications providers, with Ofcom oversight; provider plans and support for telecare customers can vary. Council and housing telecare services differ across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Ask the local provider how it supports customers affected by the digital switchover, and ask the telecoms company about its vulnerable-customer arrangements.

Primary sources

The publisher checked this guide against the 9 official sources below. This is an editorial source check, not approval by a clinician, lawyer or benefits adviser.

Editorial note: By Does Your Duck Quack.