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. Consumers, providers, and state and Tribal administrators will be able to access components of the National Verifier to confirm eligibility, facilitate administration and reduce waste, fraud, and abuse.
Federal rules prohibit eligible low-income consumers from receiving more than one Lifeline discount per household. An eligible consumer may receive a discount on either a wireline or wireless service, but not both. A consumer whose household currently is receiving more than one Lifeline service must select a single Lifeline provider and contact the other provider to de-enroll from their program.
The budget will be indexed for inflation. Learn more: www. Lifeline is the FCC's program to help make communications services more affordable for low-income consumers.
Lifeline provides subscribers a discount on qualifying monthly telephone service, broadband Internet service, or bundled voice-broadband packages purchased from participating wireline or wireless providers. The discount helps ensure that low-income consumers can afford 21 st century broadband and the access it provides to jobs, healthcare, and educational resources.
To help keep Americans connected during the coronavirus pandemic, the FCC has temporarily waived recertification, reverification, general de-enrollment, income documentation, and documentation requirements for subscribers residing in rural areas on Tribal lands, and has extended those waivers until December 31, The FCC has also made it easier for individuals who have lost their employment during the coronavirus pandemic and who qualify for Lifeline benefits to enroll in the Lifeline program.
On April 29, , the FCC temporarily waived the requirement that consumers seeking to qualify for the program based on their income must provide at least three consecutive months of income documentation. These changes will also stay in effect through September 30, A February 24, waiver Order did not extend prior waivers of the Lifeline non-usage rule beyond May 1, Consistent with the Commission's rules, Lifeline subscribers receiving free service must actually use their service or they may be de-enrolled from the program.
If you're looking for more information about the Emergency Broadband Benefit go here. Subscribers may receive a Lifeline discount on either a wireline or a wireless service, but they may not receive a discount on both services at the same time.
Lifeline also supports broadband Internet service and broadband-voice bundles. FCC rules prohibit more than one Lifeline service per household. Lifeline is available to eligible low-income consumers in every state, commonwealth, territory, and on Tribal lands. USAC is responsible for helping consumers apply for the program, understand eligibility requirements, and keep their benefit current through an annual recertification process. USAC's website provides additional information regarding the program, including program requirements.
You can see if you are eligible by reviewing the information available at lifelinesupport. To apply for Lifeline, a consumer must generally use the National Verifier application system. The National Verifier is a centralized system established by the FCC and operated by USAC that verifies Lifeline applicants' eligibility and recertifies subscriber eligibility annually. Please note that consumers in California except broadband-only consumers , Texas, and Oregon will continue to apply for the federal Lifeline benefit through the state's existing application process as they do today.
For broadband-only consumers in California, consumers will need to apply through the National Verifier application system and the National Verifier will check the consumer's eligibility. Under a waiver approved by the FCC in response to the COVID pandemic, until September 30, , a Lifeline carrier may choose to immediately begin providing Lifeline service to a consumer living in a rural Tribal area who applies for Lifeline but is unable to provide the necessary documentation to resolve a failed automated check at the time of application.
The consumer will have 45 days from the time of application to submit the documentation. A Lifeline carrier that chooses to provide service under this waiver may claim that subscriber for reimbursement from the Universal Service Fund after the subscriber has submitted the necessary documentation and received a positive eligibility determination.
The carrier may claim Lifeline support for up to 45 days of service provided prior to the eligibility determination. This approach will help eligible consumers in rural Tribal areas enroll in Lifeline while avoiding in-person contacts at the time of application and quickly get connected to vital broadband and phone services during COVID Because telephone subscribership levels on Tribal lands are the lowest in the country, enhanced Lifeline benefits are available to low-income residents of Tribal lands.
Link Up, another federal benefit program, is a one-time benefit, per address, that reduces the initial installation or activation fees of certain Lifeline providers offering telephone service on Tribal lands. What benefits are available through the Lifeline program's support for Tribal lands? Some states offer additional monthly discounts through their own Lifeline programs.
Subscribers can request Link Up once for each change of their primary residential home address. Tribal Link Up support is only offered to carriers who are building out infrastructure on Tribal lands, so not all carriers may be discounting their activation fee. Consumers can check with their Lifeline provider to see if they offer Link Up.
Federal rules prohibit qualifying low-income consumers from receiving more than one Lifeline service at the same time. For instance, low-income subscribers who qualify may receive a Lifeline discount on either a home telephone or a wireless telephone service, but they may not receive a Lifeline discount on both services at the same time.
Additionally, only one Lifeline service may be obtained per household. An "economic unit" is defined as "all adult individuals contributing to and sharing in the income and expenses of a household. Lifeline support is available to eligible low-income subscribers living in group living facilities. Lifeline applicants may demonstrate when initially enrolling in the program that any other Lifeline recipients residing at their residential address are part of a separate household.
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