Guide
How much does a personal alarm cost?
Somewhere between nothing and about £30 a month, depending on who provides it. Here's the honest version.
The short answer
| Route | Typical cost | How soon |
|---|---|---|
| Council alarm — if you qualify | Free | After an assessment: days to weeks |
| Council alarm — if you don't | £3–£6 a week (about £12–£24 a month) | After an assessment: days to weeks |
| Private alarm | £24.49–£30 a month, plus £0–£100 set-up | 1–2 days |
What "free" actually means
When a council says its alarm is free, it almost always means free for people who qualify. That usually comes down to one of three things:
- Means-tested. Your parent's income and savings are low enough — Pension Credit is the common marker. Attendance Allowance isn't means-tested but many councils treat it as a sign of need.
- Part of a care package. After a hospital stay or a care needs assessment, an alarm is often included at no charge for a period, sometimes permanently.
- Council policy. A minority of councils provide alarms free to all residents over a certain age. These are rare and getting rarer.
Everyone else pays a weekly charge. It's small — £3–£6 a week is typical — and some councils add a one-off installation fee of £30–£80. Charges are usually collected monthly or quarterly.
Council alarm: what to expect
You call the council and ask for a community alarm or telecare assessment. Someone phones back, or visits, and asks how your parent is managing. If they agree an alarm would help, the council arranges it — sometimes through its own service, sometimes through a company it contracts. The kit and the 24-hour response are the same as a private alarm.
The weak point is time. Some councils install within a week. Others have a wait of several weeks for the assessment alone. Always ask: "How long until it's installed?"
Find your parent's council to see what its scheme is called and what it costs.
Private alarm: monthly vs upfront
Private providers use two models:
- Rent everything, pay monthly. You pay a set-up fee (£70–£100) and then a monthly charge that covers the equipment, repairs and monitoring. Taking Care works this way: £69.99 set-up, then £24.49 a month (checked 21 Oct 2026).
- Buy the alarm, pay for monitoring. You pay £99 or so for the alarm, which you keep, then a monitoring plan — Careline365 charges £360 a year on this model.
Paying annually usually saves the equivalent of a month or two. But check the contract: if you might cancel when a council alarm arrives, a no-contract monthly plan is safer even if it costs a little more.
VAT
Personal alarms are VAT-exempt for people with a long-term illness or disability — which covers most people who need one. Providers ask a simple question at checkout. The prices on our comparison page are shown without VAT, as the providers show them.
Don't pay twice
The trap is buying a private alarm, then finding out six months later that the council would have provided one free. The fix is simple: do the 60-second check, call the council, and if the wait is too long, buy privately on a no-contract plan while you wait.
Not sure if your parent qualifies?
Answer five quick questions. No sign-up, no email. Takes about a minute.
Check in 60 secondsCouncil figures are typical ranges from published charging policies; they vary by council and change each April. Provider prices are from their websites on the dates shown on the comparison page.