Lifeline is a government benefit program designed to reduce the cost of voice telephone service. Only eligible consumers may enroll in the program and proof of eligibility documentation is necessary for enrollment. By law, Lifeline service is only available for one phone per household, whether wireline or wireless service, but not both. Lifeline service may not be transferred, even to another eligible customer. Consumers who willfully make false statements in order to obtain Lifeline service can be punished by fine or imprisonment or can be barred from the program. Lifeline service may not be transferred, even to another eligible consumer.  

For full details of plans eligible for lifeline discount, please click one of the following:

Unlimited Plans - any device type
Feature Phone Plan - non-smartphone handsets

 Consumers:

Consumers can sign in to lifelinesupport.org from any computer or mobile device to create an account, receive an eligibility decision, and use the list of service providers in their area to contact one to enroll.

Consumers can sign in to lifelinesupport.org from any computer or mobile device to obtain their eligibility decision, and then contact a service provider to enroll.

OR

Customers can mail a paper application and copies of proof of eligibility to the Lifeline Support Center, which will return an eligibility decision by mail in 7-10 days. Then, the customer will contact a service provider to enroll.

The applicant must complete all fields fully and correctly, initial each agreement, and sign the form. Note: All fields are required unless otherwise indicated.

The mailing address for the Lifeline Support Center is:

USAC Lifeline Support Center
P.O. Box 7081
London, KY 40742

Service providers can call the Lifeline Support Center at (800) 234-9473 after that window to learn if an application was approved.

Applicants can fill out the National Verifier's official Lifeline Program Application Form and Household Worksheet (if needed), and mail them to the Lifeline Support Center (address available on the application form).

The applicant must complete all fields fully and correctly, initial each agreement, and sign the form. Note: All fields are required unless otherwise indicated. Applicants must use only capital letters and black ink to fill out the form.

A Lifeline Support Center agent will review the application and send the applicant an eligibility decision. Then, the applicant can contact a service provider to enroll in Lifeline.

If consumers participate in one of these following government programs, they qualify for Lifeline:

• A federal public housing program
• Medicaid
• Veteran’s or Veterans Survivor’s Pension
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Tribal Programs
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) General Assistance
  • Head Start
  • Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF)
  • Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

When eligibility cannot be verified through any of the National Verifier’s automated data sources, the subscriber can submit eligibility documentation to the Lifeline Support Center, which will initiate a manual review process to determine if the consumer is eligible.

To prove participation in one of the above programs, consumers must submit a document that, at a minimum, includes:

• The consumer’s name, or the name of consumer's benefit qualifying person (BQP);
• The name of the Lifeline-qualifying program, such as SNAP;
• The government or Tribal program administrator or the managed care organization (MCO) that issued the document; and
• An issue date within the last 12 months or a future expiration date that aligns with the benefit period.

FOR ELIGIBILITY BASED ON INCOME:

To prove their household income is 135% or less than the federal poverty guidelines, consumers must submit one or more of the following documents*:

• The prior year's state, federal, or Tribal tax return
• Current income statement from an employer or paycheck stub
• A Social Security statement of benefits
• A Veterans Administration statement of benefits
• A retirement/pension statement of benefits
• An Unemployment/Workers' Compensation statement of benefit
• Federal or Tribal notice letter of participation in General Assistance
• Divorce decree, child support award, or other official document containing income information

*If the consumer presents documentation of income that does not cover a full year, such as current pay stubs, the consumer must present the same type of documentation covering three consecutive months within the previous twelve months.

See the Lifeline Program Household Worksheet for the most recent information on the federal poverty guidelines.

*Service providers cannot initial or e-sign on behalf of a customer and cannot accept applications by phone.

Already qualified?