Digital Landline Switchover: Will Your Personal Alarm Still Work?

If you or a relative wear a personal alarm pendant or use a telecare device at home, an important change to the UK’s phone network could affect it. The old analogue landline system is being switched off for good by 31 January 2027, and around two million people who rely on lifesaving alarms need to make sure their equipment is ready. This guide explains what the digital landline switchover means, who it affects, and the simple steps older homeowners can take now to stay safe and independent.

What is happening to the UK’s landlines?

For decades, home phones have run on the Public Switched Telephone Network, known as the PSTN, using copper wires that carry an analogue signal. That technology is now more than 40 years old, and telecoms companies are retiring it because it has become increasingly unreliable. Ofcom reported that fault rates on the copper network rose by 45 per cent in 2024, and spare parts are no longer being manufactured.

In its place, calls are moving to digital landlines that work over a broadband connection. This is not optional, and it is not something households can opt out of. The migration has been under way since 2017, and more than two thirds of UK landlines have already been switched. The remaining changeovers must be completed by the end of January 2027. For most people the switch is straightforward and barely noticeable. The concern is for the smaller group whose home equipment was designed for the old analogue system.

Why personal alarms and telecare are affected

Telecare covers the personal alarms, fall detectors and panic pendants that let an older or disabled person call for help at the press of a button. Many of these devices were built to dial out over an analogue landline. When a household moves to a digital connection, an older alarm may not connect to its monitoring centre in the way it used to, which means it might not summon help in an emergency unless it has been checked or upgraded first.

This matters enormously for people living independently at home, particularly those who have had a fall or who have limited mobility. A pendant alarm is often the safety net that allows someone to stay in their own home rather than move into residential care. Worryingly, industry figures published earlier in 2026 suggested that only around a quarter of the UK telecare market had fully upgraded to digital-ready equipment, so a significant number of households still have work to do before the deadline.

The safeguards protecting vulnerable users

The good news is that the switchover is being managed with vulnerable customers in mind. Under a charter signed by BT, Virgin Media and other major providers, followed by a formal checklist agreed in November 2024, telecoms companies have committed not to move a known telecare user onto a digital line until a compatible and working alarm solution is confirmed to be in place.

In practice, that means landline providers will send an engineer to carry out the switch in person and test the telecare alarm to make sure it still works on the new connection. Providers are also offering vulnerable customers a free battery backup unit, so the phone line keeps working during a power cut, which is important because digital lines, unlike the old copper ones, do not draw power from the network. Many councils and private telecare operators have signed data-sharing agreements with landline companies to help identify users who need this extra support. The catch is that these protections only reach people the providers know about, which is why identifying yourself matters.

What older homeowners should do now

The single most useful step is to get in touch early rather than waiting for a letter or an installation appointment. If you or someone you care for uses a personal alarm, contact the telecare provider or monitoring service first and ask whether the device is compatible with a digital line, or whether it needs replacing. Then tell your landline or broadband provider clearly that there is a telecare alarm in the home, so they can arrange the right support and an engineer visit.

It is worth doing this even if you are not planning to change your phone or broadband package, because the switch will happen anyway. Keep a note of any battery backup device supplied, and make sure family members or carers know how the alarm works and who to call if there is a problem. The government has set up a dedicated information site at digitalphoneswitchover.com, and BT and Virgin Media customers can dial 150 from their home phone to reach a specialist team. Age UK and other charities can also help anyone who is unsure where to start.

Staying safe and independent at home

The landline switchover is a reminder that staying safe at home rests on more than one system working together. A reliable personal alarm, a home free of trip hazards and practical adaptations such as grab rails or a stairlift all play a part in helping older people remain independent for longer. If you are reviewing safety around the house, it is a sensible moment to check that the staircase is well lit and secure, since falls on the stairs are among the most common household accidents. Our guide to stairlift safety covers the features that help reduce that risk.

For families weighing up the cost of adaptations, there is financial help available too. Local councils offer support through the Disabled Facilities Grant, and you can read more about the options in our overview of stairlift grants and funding. The message on the digital switchover is simple: check your alarm, tell your providers, and act well before the January 2027 deadline so that the safety net you rely on keeps working exactly when you need it.