Hundreds of tenants face care alarm price hike

Elderly and disabled residents in independent living accommodation in Sheffield face paying an extra £11 a month for an alarm service which provides emergency help.

Sheffield City Council is planning to increase the charge for the City Wide Care Alarm service for tenants in the Older Persons Independent Living service.

Tenants in this type of accommodation, such as extra care and sheltered housing, cannot opt out and must pay the charge as part of their tenancy agreement.

The council acknowledged the increase could put financial pressure on some people but said the current service charge was not sufficient to cover the cost of providing the service.

The 24-hour monitoring and response service supports people to live independently and safely through pull cords, pendant alarms, bed sensors and fall detectors.

Nearly 1,200 tenants face an increase in their weekly charge from £4.44 to £7.29, payable over a 50-week charging year.

Other service users have been paying the higher charge since 2025.

A report said the proposal was most likely to impact older and disabled people and residents experiencing financial hardship.

"The increase may place additional financial pressure on some households, particularly those living on fixed incomes or in receipt of benefits," it said.

"However, the service helps many people remain living safely within their own homes."

The increase is due to take effect in January 2027, and the council said it would direct tenants to financial support, benefits advice and hardship schemes.

The report added: "The service charge for independent living customers has remained unchanged for nine years.

"During this period, operating costs associated with technology, monitoring, maintenance, staffing and service delivery have increased significantly.

"The difference between income received and the actual cost of service delivery indicates a financial pressure of £167,000 in 2026/27."

The council held a consultation and said the "relatively low number of responses from affected tenants may indicate there is not a high level of concern".

Of the 57 responses, 41 said they were worried about how to afford the new charge, the size of the increase, paying for a service they rarely use and not being able to opt out.

The housing committee will discuss the report at an upcoming meeting.

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