Lifeline Phone & Internet Assistance

How to Apply -- Step by Step

1. 1

   Choose an eligibility route

   Use the income table for your household size and region, or a listed qualifying benefit. Rebuilding after incarceration is a reason to seek assistance, but is not itself a Lifeline eligibility category. California applicants should also check the CPUC state rules.

2. 2

   Start with the official application instructions

   USAC's How to Apply page links to the current online application at getinternet.gov, paper forms, and the Oregon and Texas state processes. A participating phone or internet company can help with an application. If you need a mailed form or application assistance, call 800-234-9473.

3. 3

   Resolve any requested proof

   Some information can be checked automatically. If you receive a request, follow it for the specific identity, address, income, program, or household issue. Use the supporting-documents guide below instead of sending every type of document or starting repeated applications.

4. 4

   Compare service available where you live

   Use USAC's Companies Near Me directory, then ask the company to confirm service at your location. Write down the full monthly cost after Lifeline, phone or SIM cost, fees, data allowance, and what happens when data runs out. If you have a phone, ask the company to check its compatibility and unlocking requirements.

5. 5

   Enroll with your chosen company

   Completing the eligibility application is not the same as signing up for service. Contact your chosen company to enroll and arrange activation. Ask whether you need to bring a device, buy one, or qualify for a specific device offer, and confirm the expected timing. If keeping a number matters, discuss that transfer before canceling your existing service.

6. 6

   Keep notices and a way to contact support

   Save your approval and provider contact details. Respond if the program asks you to recertify, report required changes, and follow the usage rule if you pay no monthly service charge. The sections below explain which problems go to the company and which go to Lifeline support.

Does “free government phone” mean a free device?

Lifeline is a service benefit. A company may advertise a phone promotion, a SIM-only offer, or a discounted paid plan; the program name does not establish the offer's terms. Ask: Is the phone included, and under what conditions? Is the quoted price for the device, the monthly plan, or both? Is there an activation, shipping, or replacement charge? What will I pay after the first month?

Use the answers to compare offers for your own location. For example, a SIM-only offer may work if you already have a compatible phone, but it does not solve the device problem if you have no phone. For interviews, appointments, or supervision contacts, ask about coverage where you expect to use the service and how to report service problems.

• USAC: benefits and service questions
• USAC: Companies Near Me

Compare data limits and total cost before choosing

Ask the company to specify high-speed data, any reduced-speed service after the allowance, hotspot access, and talk and text limits. An advertisement saying “unlimited” is not enough to establish unlimited high-speed data or hotspot use. Request the terms for the exact Lifeline plan offered to you.

Make a short comparison for each offer: amount due today; recurring bill after the discount; included device or bring-your-own-phone requirements; data and hotspot limits; coverage at home and work; and replacement or cancellation terms. If you are also comparing a prepaid plan, use the same checklist. Do not buy a phone for an offer until the company confirms it can be used with that service.

• USAC: benefits and service questions
• USAC: Companies Near Me

Which application route should I use?

Start at USAC's How to Apply page. It links to the online application and identifies Oregon and Texas as using state application processes. California applicants should also consult the CPUC's California LifeLine instructions for the state benefit.

For the USAC mail route, use the current paper form and send the requested materials to Lifeline Support Center, PO Box 1000, Horseheads, NY 14845. This is the program's mailing address, not an address to enter as your residence. Call 800-234-9473 if you need an application mailed to you or help applying. After approval, a participating company still needs to enroll you in service.

• USAC: how to apply, including Oregon and Texas
• CPUC: California LifeLine

What to do when an application asks for documents

Match the document to the problem stated in the notice. Program proof should identify the participant, the benefit, and the issuing organization, with a qualifying recent issue date or future expiration. Income proof follows different requirements: USAC lists annual records and, for shorter-period records such as pay stubs, three consecutive months from the past year. Follow the complete document guide for your situation.

Identity, date of birth, and home address can require separate evidence. A benefits letter may establish program participation without resolving an address discrepancy. Keep a copy of what you send and contact Lifeline support about an unresolved request rather than assuming that an income match guarantees approval.

• USAC: requested supporting documents

No permanent address, a shelter, or a shared home

USAC allows a temporary home address, such as a shelter or the place you are staying with family or friends. If you cannot give a street address, its instructions allow a descriptive physical location. Follow the address-verification instructions if requested; do not substitute a PO Box for where you actually live.

Roommates do not necessarily form one Lifeline household. The question is whether you live together and share income and expenses. If another adult at the same address already receives Lifeline, you may be asked to complete a household worksheet. Answer for your actual living and financial arrangement; a different surname or a separate bedroom does not decide eligibility.

• USAC: benefits and service questions
• USAC: requested supporting documents
• USAC: household and service rules

Enhanced support on qualifying Tribal lands

Enhanced Tribal Lifeline depends on living on qualifying Tribal lands and meeting the applicable eligibility rules. Tribal identity alone does not establish that geographic condition. USAC describes support of up to $34.25 per month for eligible residents and additional qualifying program routes.

Tribal Link Up can cover up to $100 of an eligible service setup charge through a participating provider. It is not a nationwide free-device payment. Ask the provider whether it offers Link Up, whether your location qualifies, and what setup costs remain. USAC's Tribal lands map is informational; follow the program's residence-verification process.

• USAC: qualifying Tribal lands and Link Up
• USAC: qualification routes

Keep the benefit: annual checks, notices, and usage

USAC, or the state process in Oregon and Texas, checks eligibility each year. If it can confirm eligibility automatically, you do not need to recertify manually. If USAC asks you to recertify, its instructions give 60 days to respond. Read the notice and use the method it permits; phone recertification is not available when you must submit proof documents.

If you pay nothing out of pocket each month for service, use it at least once every 30 days. USAC describes a 15-day notice to use the service before termination for non-use. Also notify your company within 30 days if your address changes, you no longer qualify, or you discover another Lifeline benefit in your household. Save the notices so you can identify the reason and deadline if service is interrupted.

• USAC: annual recertification
• USAC: household and service rules

Changing the company and keeping a phone number are separate tasks

To move your Lifeline benefit, contact the new company. It needs your consent and information to process the transfer, and you may need to reapply. Once the benefit transfers, the old company no longer applies it. Do not try to keep two Lifeline benefits for one household.

Ask separately whether your existing phone number can transfer, what account details or transfer PIN are needed, and how to avoid a gap in service. Do not cancel the old service before arranging the number transfer with the new company. AT&T's published transfer instructions illustrate why an active number and correct account information matter; your chosen company's process controls your transfer. A Lifeline eligibility approval does not itself transfer your number.

• USAC: change your Lifeline company
• AT&T: number-transfer preparation (carrier example)

Emergency support after separating a phone line from an abuser

USAC has a separate survivor emergency route under the Safe Connections Act. It can provide up to six months of support after a qualifying attempt to separate a line, subject to the program's documentation and financial-need rules. The extra eligibility routes include household income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines and certain benefits such as WIC or a current-year Federal Pell Grant. These are not the standard Lifeline rules for everyone.

The survivor application requires proof of an attempted line-separation request within the past 12 months. Use USAC's survivor instructions for accepted evidence and options if you do not yet have that proof. Before the emergency period ends, check the standard eligibility rules and what your service will cost afterward. Avoid using an account or contact method the abusive person can access when arranging assistance.

• USAC: survivor emergency benefit

ACP ended; a former ACP approval is not a Lifeline approval

The Affordable Connectivity Program ended on June 1, 2024 because additional funding was not provided. Lifeline is a separate program with its own application and eligibility rules. If you previously had ACP, check a current Lifeline qualification route; do not assume the old ACP enrollment or an old ACP advertisement gives you an active discount.

For a current offer, ask the company which program provides the discount and what the bill will be after that discount. Do not rely on an expired ACP price when comparing service today.

• USAC: ACP ended June 1, 2024
• USAC: qualification routes

Application trouble, a lost phone, or disconnected service

For an eligibility application, requested proof, or USAC recertification notice, contact the Lifeline Support Center at 800-234-9473. For a device, SIM, bill, data limit, activation, or service problem, start with your phone or internet company.

If service stops, ask the company for the exact reason: an eligibility issue, a missed recertification request, non-use, or a service-account problem require different next steps. If the benefit ended, USAC's instructions explain when to reapply. If a phone is lost or broken, ask the company about replacement cost and options; there is no replacement-price promise in this guide.

• USAC: benefits and service questions
• USAC: service turned off
• USAC: annual recertification

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Lifeline automatically send me a free phone?

No. Lifeline supports service. Approval and company enrollment are separate, and the company sets its device offer. Confirm the phone or SIM cost, plan price, fees, and availability before enrolling.

How much is the standard federal Lifeline discount?

Up to $9.25 per month for internet or a phone-and-internet bundle, or up to $5.25 for voice-only service. Eligible residents of qualifying Tribal lands may receive enhanced support of up to $34.25. State benefits can differ.

Can I apply without a permanent home address?

Yes. USAC permits a temporary home address or descriptive physical location. Follow any requested address-verification steps. A mailing PO Box does not replace the application's home-location information.

Can two people at one address each receive Lifeline?

Possibly, if they are separate households under Lifeline's income-and-expense sharing rules. Only one benefit is allowed per household. A household worksheet may be needed when another adult at the address has Lifeline.

Does parole, probation, or release from incarceration qualify me?

Those circumstances are not qualification routes listed by USAC. Check the current income or qualifying-benefit rules and complete the identity and household checks. Release status alone does not approve service.

Must everyone submit recertification paperwork every year?

No. Eligibility is checked annually, and it may be confirmed automatically. If you receive a recertification request, follow that notice. USAC provides 60 days to respond to its request; Oregon and Texas use state processes.

Do all Lifeline plans have unlimited high-speed data?

Do not assume that. Ask for the exact high-speed allowance, reduced-speed terms, hotspot limit, and any extra-data cost for the plan available to you.

Can I move Lifeline to another company and keep my number?

Ask the new company to handle the Lifeline benefit transfer and separately confirm number-transfer eligibility and required account information. Do not cancel the old service before arranging the number transfer. Approval for Lifeline does not itself move a phone number.

Does my former ACP enrollment mean I qualify for Lifeline?

No. ACP ended June 1, 2024. Lifeline has separate rules, so check a current income or qualifying-program route and follow its application process.

Who helps with an application versus a broken phone?

Call Lifeline support at 800-234-9473 for USAC application, proof, and recertification questions. Your service company handles devices, activation, billing, and connection problems. Oregon and Texas applicants should follow their state instructions.