Telephone Assistance Programs for Low-Income Households

CONSUMER DISCOUNTS ON TELEPHONE SERVICE UNDER
FEDERAL UNIVERSAL SERVICE PROGRAMS

Get US Government discount on "Lifeline" home or cell phone service:

Lifeline - Lifeline provides qualified consumers with a discount on monthly charges for their primary home phone line, even if it’s a cell phone.

Link-Up - Link-Up lowers the cost eligible consumers pay for setting up new phone service at their home, including cell phone service.

HOW MUCH CAN YOU SAVE?

Lifeline - If you qualify for this program, Lifeline can save you at least $10 a month on your phone bills, depending on what state you live in and which phone company in your area provides this program. Some states provide more discounts to make local telephone service even more affordable. To determine if your state offers these additional discounts, contact your state’s public utility commission, www.naruc.org/commissions.cfm.

Link-Up - Link-Up pays up to $30.00 of a qualified consumer’s home phone startup fees (even if it’s a cell phone), not including the cost of the phone. Link-Up also lets consumers borrow up to $200 of set-up fees, interest-free, for up to one year.

Tribal Lands - Those living on tribal lands may qualify for additional discounts.  Fact sheet.

ARE YOU ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE THESE DISCOUNTS?

These discounts are available to qualifying consumers throughout the country, although eligibility requirements vary from state to state. Some states have broader categories for eligibility so that more people will qualify. That is why it is important to know how your state runs these programs. To find out the criteria for your state, go to www.lifelinesupport.org/li/low-income/lifelinesupport/browser/.  If you don't qualify for the Link-Up discount, they also have a Pre-Paid plan (which you may want to price against T-Mobile prepaid phones amongst other carriers)

If your state uses the federal categories, those standards require either that consumers have a total household income that does not exceed 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines OR that they participate in one of the following programs:

• Medicaid

• Food Stamps

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

• Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8)

• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

• Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) or

• The National School Lunch Programs Free Lunch Program

These income levels are based on data from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). For each additional person in the household beyond eight, add the following dollar amounts to the income eligibility requirements: $5,157 for persons living in the Lower 48 and D.C., $6,453 for Alaska, and $5,927 for Hawaii.

DO I HAVE TO PAY A DEPOSIT TO START PHONE SERVICE?

If you have financial or credit problems, you may be required to pay a deposit before setting up telephone service. Consumers who are eligible for the Lifeline and Link-Up programs do not have to pay a deposit if they agree to limit long distance service on their phone. This is called “toll limitation” or “toll blocking.” Even with this toll-blocking program, you will still be able to place long-distance calls using pre-paid calling cards.  READ ON

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