The Lifeline Program is a federal program that helps low-income people and families stay connected to today’s high-tech world. Access to phone and internet service isn’t just a luxury anymore. It’s essential to be online for everything from employment services to personal banking and more.
How Did Lifeline Start?
The Lifeline program is nothing new. Former President Ronald Reagan instituted the program in the wake of the breakup of AT&T in 1984. Reagan administration officials worried that the rise of competition would create unaffordable conditions for those who needed service most and crafted a plan to help. The program expanded to include cellular service during the George W Bush administration.
In 1996, when Congress overhauled the Communications Act, the program gained statutory recognition and became law rather than policy. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has overseen it ever since. Anti-discrimination wording added to the assurance that companies couldn’t deny anyone service.
What Does Lifeline Provide?
Lifeline provides a $9.25 per month subsidy to low-income subscribers who qualify. The subsidy is $34.25 for those living on tribal lands. All national cellular service providers participate in the program, as do several broadband companies also offering cell service.
Do I Qualify?
Anyone living at or below 135% of the federal poverty level qualifies for the Lifeline Program. Those who qualify for most public assistance programs, such as Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or Supplemental Security Income (SSI), qualify automatically. You can find out if you are eligible and apply for the program on Lifeline’s website.
Are There Restrictions?
There are restrictions to the Lifeline program. To participate, you must prove your income for the previous three months, and you must recertify once per year. The FCC only allows one Lifeline subsidy per household, and they have a requirement that your service remains not just active but in use.
The recertification and income verification rules were suspended at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and remain in effect through March 2022. A waiver of the use rule expired in April 2021. You must continue to use your service actively, or you risk de-enrollment.
Who Pays for All This?
Lifeline isn’t funded by taxpayer dollars, making it quite different from most public assistance programs. Mobile and landline subscribers pay a fee based on their usage that goes in the “Universal Service Fund.” Funding for four programs designed to help low and no-income Americans stay connected by phone and internet comes from the fund, including Lifeline.
