Lifeline and Link-Up:
Outreach Tool Kit

Model Newsletter Article #1 on Lifeline and Link-Up

It may be hard to believe, but many people in the United States do not have phone service in their homes. Often this is because they do not have the money to pay for the initial installation or to keep up with monthly bills.

According to the Federal Communications Commission, as of July 2006, approximately 6.3 million households across the country—or 5.4 percent of the entire U.S. population—did not have telephones.

[You could put in here the number for the specific state. The paragraph could read: And according to the FCC numbers, the number of households without a phone here in XXX is XXX. Please refer to the background materials for specific state information].

So while most Americans are using their phone lines to connect to the Internet and order items such as books, CDs, and even pizzas, some residents do not even have the ability to call their family, their next-door neighbor, or 911.

But federal and state governments are working together with telephone companies to promote programs aimed at helping eligible customers get and keep phone service in their homes with Lifeline and Link-Up discounts.

The FCC and its state regulatory counterparts, represented by a national trade association, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, have been working with the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates on a national educational campaign, the “Lifeline Across America” outreach effort, to promote Lifeline and Link-Up telephone assistance programs for income-eligible households.

The Link-Up program provides up to a $30 discount on new telephone service connection charges, while the Lifeline assistance program offers eligible customers measurable savings through discounts on monthly phone bills.

These programs are not new. Nearly XXX households in [INSERT STATE HERE] are already taking advantage of them. However, that number is far below the actual number of people eligible for these discounts. Based on FCC reports, only XXX percent of eligible households in [INSERT STATE HERE] are taking advantage of the benefits available to them under these programs.

To heighten awareness, the FCC and state officials are launching a “Lifeline Across America” outreach campaign to help educate eligible consumers, local media, local government officials, and social services agencies on the availability of Lifeline and Link-Up discounts. The FCC is also looking for new ways to increase general public awareness of these programs.

FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin said, “Education and information are the most powerful tools available to boost participation in these important programs. I am pleased with the effective partnership we have forged with our NARUC and NASUCA colleagues to network and spread the good news about Lifeline and Link-Up.”

NARUC President Jim Kerr said, “These programs provide important benefits for consumers and this outreach is an important part of our effort to ensure that all eligible customers can sign up. NARUC, NASUCA, and the FCC are committed to increasing participation in these programs.”

Consumers may be eligible if they participate in any of the following assistance programs: Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, Low-Income Home Energy Assistance, Federal Public Housing Assistance, food stamps, Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, the National School Lunch Free-Lunch Program, or Bureau of Indian Affairs Program. Consumers may also be eligible for these benefits based on household income. Since income and other eligibility requirements vary by state, contact your local telephone company for additional information, or contact the state public utility commission at [INSERT PHONE NUMBER & WEB SITE] to check [INSERT STATE NAME]’s current eligibility requirements for these programs.

Consumers eligible to receive discounts under these programs should contact their local telephone companies to apply. If additional assistance is needed, they should contact the utility commission or the Federal Communications Commission.

Model Newsletter Article #2 on Lifeline and Link-Up 

There’s a special offer today for eligible telecommunications consumers, and, thankfully, it’s not one of those “too good to be true” offers. It is good and it is true! This special offer is through the Lifeline and Link-Up Programs, which offer tremendous savings for eligible consumers throughout the United States. These are great programs that help make getting a telephone and paying for monthly service more affordable. Unfortunately, many of the people who need assistance from these programs aren’t aware of them and aren’t taking advantage of available discounts.

The Federal Communications Commission, the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, and the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates have been working together in a national effort known as “Lifeline Across America” to promote these programs and let consumers know that help is available.

In today's information-driven world, telephone service has become a necessity rather than a luxury. But, in fact, it remains a luxury for far too many of our neighbors. Some still do not have access to basic local phone service in their own homes.

For example, more than 13 percent of U.S. households with an income below $10,000 do not have telephone service.

That percentage may not sound high, but imagine how you would feel if one of those households included your grandmother...your mother...a young mother with small children...your neighbor...your friend...or perhaps even you. Knowing that access to a doctor’s office...to our child’s school...or to emergency assistance is only a phone call away is something that most of us take for granted.

In today’s world, everyone needs a phone. Still, not everyone can afford the cost of having telephone service installed in their home, or can’t keep up with their monthly phone bills. Because many Americans find it too expensive to have telephone service, the FCC has created a national Lifeline Program to provide low-income consumers with significant discounts. Several states have supplemented this program with additional state funding.

Consumers may be eligible for the Lifeline and Link-Up programs if their household income is below a certain level. The FCC chose 135% of the federal poverty guidelines (FPGs) as the cut-off point for eligibility. Some states have adopted even higher caps on household income. The FCC and most states use participation in various public assistance programs as another means of qualifying for Lifeline and Link-Up discounts. The FCC identified participation in one or more of the following programs as an additional way to qualify for Lifeline and Link-Up telephone assistance:  

• Medicaid 
  

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 
  

• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program 
  

• Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8) 
  

• Food Stamps
  

• Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) 
  

• National School Lunch Free Lunch Program (NSL) 
  

• Bureau of Indian Affairs Program (Tribal TANF, Head Start Subsidy, NSL)

Eligible consumers, who already have phone service, can enjoy significant discounts on their monthly phone bills through the Lifeline program. Eligible consumers, without home phone service, can receive up to a $30 discount on installation charges with Link-Up. These consumers can also avoid service deposit requirements if they accept certain limits on their access to toll services (such as the ability to use 1+ dialing for long distance calls, the ability to accept incoming collect calls, the ability to charge calls to a home telephone number from a different location, etc.). Keep in mind that, with today’s prepaid calling cards and dial-around long distance service options, consumers can still place long distance calls from their homes without traditional 1+ long distance service.

Recent studies indicate that nationwide telephone penetration rate among low-income households is 86.4 while the nationwide telephone penetration rate for all households is 92.5 percent. For this reason, the “Lifeline Across America” initiative is identifying new ways to increase consumer awareness of Lifeline and Link-Up assistance programs. Greater awareness should help achieve greater participation in these programs.

There is more to be done! The success of these programs ultimately depends on the cooperative efforts of the media, federal and state agencies, local telephone companies, and consumer organizations to help spread the word about the Lifeline and Link-Up assistance programs. The goal is important -- to make home telephone service accessible and affordable to every household that wants it.

FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin said, “Education and information are the most powerful tools available to boost participation in these important programs. I am pleased with the effective partnership we have forged with our NARUC and NASUCA colleagues to network and spread the good news about Lifeline and Link-Up.”

NARUC President Jim Kerr said, “These programs provide important benefits for consumers and this outreach is an important part of our effort to ensure that all eligible customers can sign up. NARUC, NASUCA, and the FCC are committed to increasing participation in these programs.”

For more information on the Lifeline and Link-Up Programs, contact your local telephone company, your state utility commission at [INSERT TOLL_FREE # HERE], or the FCC. The FCC's toll-free number is 1-888-CALL-FCC. If you have Internet access, please visit the FCC's Web site for additional information: www.lifeline.gov.