CONSUMER DISCOUNTS ON TELEPHONE SERVICE UNDER
FEDERAL UNIVERSAL SERVICE PROGRAMS

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 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 Jan. 23, 2009, 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: $5,049 for persons living in the Lower 48 and D.C., $6,318 for Alaska, and $5,805 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.

If your phone company is threatening to disconnect your service because of late or non-payment of bills, you can ask your company to restrict your phone calls to local numbers only.

HOW TO APPLY FOR LIFELINE & LINK-UP?

Contact your local telephone company to make sure that you qualify for these benefits in your state and to request an application form.

If your local telephone company is not authorized to provide Lifeline or Link-Up discounts in your area, contact your state public utility commission or consumer advocate office to locate an authorized service provider.

CONTACT INFORMATION & WEB LINKS

• To find the Public Utility Commission where you live, click on this link: www.naruc.org/commissions.cfm.

• To talk to a consumer advocate in your state, click on this link: www.nasuca.org/about/membdir.php

• Additional program information can also be found on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Web site: www.fcc.gov/cgb/consumerfacts/lllu.html

• State-specific eligibility and benefit information for Lifeline and Link-Up assistance programs is available on the Universal Service Administrative Company’s (USAC’s) Web site: www.lifelinesupport.org/li/low-income/lifelinesupport/.

FACILITATING THE APPLICATION PROCESS

More than 1,500 telephone companies in the United States and its territories participate in the federal Lifeline and Link-Up Programs for income-eligible households.

In addition to traditional telephone service providers, many new competitive local exchange carriers and wireless telephone service providers are now authorized to provide Lifeline and Link-Up discounts to eligible consumers.

Encourage eligible consumers to contact their local telephone service providers or other carriers authorized to provide Lifeline and Link-Up benefits in your area to request an application form and obtain further instructions on how to apply for Lifeline and Link-Up discounts in your state.

The link below provides a partial state-by-state list of landline and wireless carriers authorized to provide Lifeline and Link-Up discounts under the Federal Universal Service Program.
www.universalservice.org/li/low-income/lifelinesupport/default.aspx

Contact your state’s public utility commission or utility consumer advocate office for a more complete list of companies authorized to provide Lifeline and Link-Up discounts in your area.

The following links provide access to those offices:

Link to State Public Utility Commissions: www.naruc.org/commissions.cfm

Link to Certain State Utility Consumer Advocate Offices: www.nasuca.org/about/membdir.php

OTHER QUESTIONS?

Further questions can be directed to the Federal Communications Commission, at 1-888-CALLFCC.