Older people
The Seniors Alert Scheme Explained: Who Qualifies and What It Covers
If you’re over 65 and living alone in Ireland, or you’re worried about a parent who is, this government scheme can give you a monitored personal alarm, free if you have a landline. It’s funded by the Department of Rural and Community Development and the Gaeltacht, managed by Pobal, and thousands of older people use it every year.
Check this against 40+ other grants and supports in about a minute.
What it costs
A quick summary. Always confirm current details with Pobal before applying.
What you actually get
The scheme covers the cost of a personal alarm, usually a pendant worn around the neck or a button worn on the wrist, connected to a 24-hour monitoring centre. If you press the button, the monitoring centre answers, speaks to you through the base unit, and calls your nominated contacts or the emergency services if you need help.
If you have a landline, the alarm is free. If you don’t have a landline, you pay a yearly fee for SIM credit, about €70. The monitoring service is free for your first year. After that, you pay the monitoring fee yourself, about €70 a year.
These are Pobal’s own figures, valid in 2024. Your local group can tell you the current fee.
Who qualifies
You need to meet all of these:
- You’re 65 or older
- You have limited means
- You live alone, live alone for significant parts of the day, live only with someone else who also meets the criteria, or you’re caring for someone in your home
- You live in the area covered by a registered community group (almost every area in Ireland is covered)
- You’re able to benefit from the equipment
- You’re prepared to keep in contact with the registered group
Many of the same people also qualify for the Living Alone Increase and the Household Benefits Package, so it’s worth checking those at the same time.
How to apply
This is the part that catches people out: you cannot apply to Pobal directly. Applications go through local community and voluntary groups registered with the scheme, think active retirement groups, community alert groups, local development partnerships. You contact the group, they handle the application and arrange the supplier.
To find your local registered group, call Pobal on 01 511 7222 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 4pm), email SAS@pobal.ie, or check the Seniors Alert Scheme page on pobal.ie. A family member or neighbour can start the process on your behalf.
What the scheme doesn’t cover
The standard Seniors Alert Scheme alarm is a press-the-button device. That matters, because the situations families worry about most, a fall where the person is knocked out, can’t reach the button, or is too confused to press it, are exactly the situations where a button can’t help. Fall detection, GPS location for someone who’s out and about, and alerts that go straight to family phones are generally not part of the standard package.
Some families use the scheme alarm at home and add a separate device for protection beyond the button. If fall detection is the specific worry, a dedicated fall detection watch that senses a fall and raises the alert automatically, without anyone pressing anything, covers the gap the pendant leaves. It’s bought privately rather than through the scheme, so weigh up whether the worry in your house is “what if she can’t press it?” before spending the money.
If the concern is more about the home itself, stairs, bathrooms, getting around safely, the HSE aids and appliances service and the Housing Adaptation Grant cover equipment and adaptations rather than monitoring.
The short version
Free alarm if you have a landline, free monitoring for the first year, roughly €70 a year after that (Pobal’s 2024 figures). Apply through your local registered community group, not Pobal directly. It’s one of the most genuinely useful supports available to older people in Ireland, and if it’s the difference between your mother staying in her own home and not, it’s worth the phone call today.
Common questions
How much does the Seniors Alert Scheme cost?
If you have a landline, the alarm is free. If you do not have a landline, you pay a yearly fee for SIM credit, about €70. The first year of monitoring is free. After that you pay the monitoring fee yourself, about €70 a year. These are Pobal’s 2024 figures, so ask your local group for the current fee.
Who qualifies for the Seniors Alert Scheme?
You need to be 65 or older, have limited means, and live alone (or alone for significant parts of the day, or only with someone who also meets the criteria, or be caring for someone in your home), in an area covered by a registered community group. Almost every area in Ireland is covered. You must also be able to benefit from the equipment and be prepared to keep in contact with the group.
How do you apply for the Seniors Alert Scheme?
You cannot apply to Pobal directly. Applications go through local community and voluntary groups registered with the scheme. You contact the group, they handle the application and arrange the supplier. To find your local group, call Pobal on 01 511 7222 (Monday to Friday, 10am to 12.30pm and 2pm to 4pm), email SAS@pobal.ie, or check the Seniors Alert Scheme page on pobal.ie. A family member or neighbour can start the process on your behalf.
Does the Seniors Alert Scheme include fall detection?
No. The standard scheme alarm is a press-the-button pendant or wrist button. Automatic fall detection, GPS location for someone out and about, and alerts that go straight to family phones are generally not part of the standard package. Some families add a separate device to cover that gap.