Age UK’s partnership with Twilio reveals how communications technology can help scale human support, enabling Twilio Flex to power the voice infrastructure behind Age UK’s Telephone Friendship Service and Silver Line Helpline.
Loneliness amongst older generations is more crucial than ever, as Age UK research shows that 360,000 older people go a week without speaking to family or friends, with Twilio’s own research revealing that 29% of UK adults feel more isolated than ever.
At a time when many organizations are rushing toward AI-led customer engagement, Age UK’s approach demonstrates that the strongest CX outcomes often come from using technology to enable meaningful human connection, not replace it.
Speaking with CX Today, Alasdair Stewart, Age UK Director of National Services, explained that its services are designed to restore meaningful human connection at a time when opportunities for conversation have become limited.
"The opportunities for a two-way conversation have really reduced, and that's why our service is very much geared to supporting other people," he acknowledged.
"To provide that meaningful to a conversation, whether it's with them for staff, or the 4,500 volunteers, that support our different services.”
Beyond Digital-First Support
Loneliness remains one of the most significant challenges affecting older people across the UK, often stemming from a lack of meaningful social connection.
As the UK's leading charity supporting older people through loneliness, Age UK has long recognized that isolation can have a profound impact on wellbeing, as recent research from the charity found that 360,000 older people go a week without speaking to family or friends.
Furthermore, one in four older people (3.4 million people) avoid telling family or friends they are lonely because they do not want to feel like a burden, leaving many to cope with isolation in silence.
"We know there's lots of different reasons and barriers that can stop older people building social connections within their communities," Stewart notes.
While many services have recently shifted toward digital channels, these are not always accessible to older people, with many facing significant challenges when it comes to brand-new technology.
As a result, the launch of Age UK’s Telephone Friendship Service offered a familiar, trusted, and accessible way for many older people to stay connected, requiring no internet access or digital confidence, making it one of the lowest-barrier forms of communication available.
Stewart highlights:
"Our telephone services are designed to find the National Safety Net, to make sure that no matter where you live, there are services that you can access."
By providing consistent telephone-based support, Age UK ensures that geography or digital exclusion does not prevent people from finding someone willing to listen.
Introducing Twilio For Flexibility When Demand Strikes
As demand for its telephone services continued to grow, Age UK recognized that it would require a communications platform that could scale alongside its services while maintaining personal, human conversations.
After redesigning its Telephone Friendship Service in 2016, Age UK integrated Twilio Flex and Twilio's communications technology to power the voice infrastructure behind both the Telephone Friendship Service and the Silver Line Helpline.
This partnership was designed to remove operational barriers for volunteers and staff to better support older people wherever they were.
This became particularly valuable during the COVID-19 pandemic as its demand increased by more than 60%, where Twilio's browser-based technology enabled volunteers to continue supporting callers remotely without fixed contact center infrastructure and respond better during seasonal peaks.
