Telecare and the digital switchover

What the government has said

DHSC's guidance for housing providers in England was published on 8 October 2026. It explains that communication providers are replacing the public switched telephone network (PSTN) with digital lines. The switchover was announced in 2017 and is due to be finished by January 2027. The guidance says the old network is becoming less reliable, with over 2,600 major incidents in 2024 to 2025.

If an analogue alarm is not upgraded before its line moves to digital, it may become unreliable or stop working. In a grouped scheme, one master unit can serve up to 40 flats, so a single failure could affect many residents at once.

The numbers

According to the guidance:

around half a million people, about a quarter of UK telecare users, rely on grouped living scheme or warden call alarms;
DHSC research with alarm receiving centres in winter 2025 to 2026 and May to June 2026 found around three-quarters of grouped scheme alarms are still analogue;
around one-third of personal alarms are still analogue;
over 98% of councils have signed at least one data-sharing agreement with communication providers.

DHSC says many housing providers have still not made enough progress and that further action is now urgently needed.

What the regulator added on 22 October

The Regulator of Social Housing's Sector Risk Profile 2026 says supported housing makes up around 11% of social landlords' stock. It warns that without upgrades the switchover may affect telecare and connected safety systems. It expects landlords to understand any reliance on analogue equipment and to manage the risks.

What providers are asked to do

The guidance sets out steps for housing providers and anyone running grouped scheme telecare:

tell your communication provider which lines and broadband connections carry telecare, so those lines are not cut off without support;
list all telecare equipment and check whether it works digitally, including linked door entry, fire panels, pendants and sensors;
involve the "responsible person" for fire safety, as telecare and fire detection are often linked;
monitor call failure rates and test regularly, ideally with the alarm receiving centre;
find out when each line will be migrated;
plan for power cuts.

The government's position is that telecare users should have a fully digital alarm with power-cut resilience. The guidance recommends dual connectivity, such as broadband plus mobile, and that mobile options should not use 2G.

What this means for your service

Find out who owns the alarm. In supported living, the landlord often owns the building system and the support provider does not. Ask the landlord for its upgrade plan and date.
Check other phone-line systems too. Lift alarms, fire alarm monitoring and door entry can rely on old lines in any building, including care homes.
Update risk assessments and evacuation plans where alarms or fire detection are being changed.
Make sure the phone provider knows which lines carry telecare. If you provide personal alarms and nobody has contacted you, DHSC gives a contact in its guidance.
Test after any change. Check that calls reach the alarm receiving centre, and keep a record.
Tell residents and families what is happening and when, in plain language.