Ca telephone lifeline program

There are two ways to qualify for the program. For Method 1 Program-Based , you must certify that you or a member of your household is enrolled in any one of the following public-assistance programs:. For Method 2 Income-Based , you can qualify for California Lifeline if your household's total annual gross income is at or less than these annual income limits:.

A household includes adults and children who are living together at the same address as one economic unit. Consumers applying for the California Lifeline Program must be approved before receiving the California Lifeline discounts.

For more information, go to www. Each household must choose to get the discount, either on a home phone or on a cell phone, but not on both. Households cannot get the discount from multiple phone companies except for teletypewriter users and for Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program participants.

Households that do not follow the California Lifeline one-discounted- service per-household rule will lose their discounts, and may be prosecuted by the U.

Individuals can also be punished for giving false information to get the discounts. Penalties can include imprisonment, losing the discounts, monetary fines, and being banned from the California Lifeline Program. The discounts can only be for the primary residence. California Lifeline participants may transfer their discounts from one phone company to another, but you may NOT have more than one phone line active with the California Lifeline discounts.

If you choose to transfer your California Lifeline discounts from Frontier to another California Lifeline provider, then Frontier will charge retail rates for you to continue using your phone service.

If you apply to be in California Lifeline, you will pay the regular rates for your phone service until your application is approved. Lifeline is part of the Universal Service Fund. The Lifeline program is available to eligible low-income consumers in every state, territory, commonwealth, and on Tribal lands. USAC is responsible for data collection and maintenance, support calculation, and disbursement for the low-income program.

On March 31, , the Commission adopted a comprehensive reform and modernization of the Lifeline program. In the Lifeline Modernization Order, the Commission included broadband as a support service in the Lifeline program. The Commission also set out minimum service standards for Lifeline-supported services to ensure maximum value for the universal service dollar, and established a National Eligibility Verifier to make independent subscriber eligibility determinations.

More information about ETC requirements available here. Make sure that your signature is very clear and legible.

You can qualify for California LifeLine if you or another person in your household is enrolled in any one of these qualifying public assistance programs:. Limitations Effective June 1, 30 Day Enrollment Request Freeze for Wireless Telephone Service The limitation requires a consumer who submitted an enrollment request, in an attempt to receive California LifeLine wireless telephone services, to wait a maximum of 30 days to submit another enrollment request to another service provider.

The CPUC adopted three types of activities that would stop the enrollment request freeze duration, which are as follows: The Administrator sends the final eligibility decision to the consumer; The consumer or California LifeLine service provider cancels the enrollment request; and 30 days have passed since the Administrator generated the application packet or confirmed that the request is an inter-carrier transfer request.

How to Cancel an Enrollment Request A consumer can independently cancel an enrollment request by contacting the Administrator. You can qualify for California LifeLine if your household's total annual gross income is at or less than these annual income limits:. How to Apply or Renew. If you apply to be in California LifeLine, you will pay the regular rates for basic home phone service until your application is approved.

Please be sure to ask the telephone company what they are so you will be aware of these rates and fees. This will spread out your payments in more manageable amounts while you wait for your eligibility to be approved for California LifeLine. Payment plans can vary between the different home phone companies. You will receive a bill credit with the California LifeLine discounts retroactive to the date your service began or the date you requested to be enrolled, whichever is later.

Otherwise, the refund will just be a credit on your account. Annual Renewal Process. For current California LifeLine participants only. California LifeLine requires all existing California LifeLine customers to renew their participation on an annual basis.