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Watch the Lifeline and Link-Up Video
Brochure (161 KB)
Application (22 KB)
Staying connected to family, friends and businesses is an important part of life. Having access to affordable telephone service for your home makes staying connected easier. You may qualify for two special programs – Lifeline and Link-Up – that help reduce the cost of telephone service so you can connect for less.
Lifeline helps consumers who already have telephone service save a significant amount of money on their monthly phone bill. The discount applies to basic local telephone service on one line per household.
Link-Up pays one-half, up to a maximum of $30, of the installation or activation fee for new telephone service at the applicant’s primary residence. Link-Up also allows you to pay the remaining amount owed on installation or activation on a deferred schedule, interest-free.
Residents of tribal lands, see Enhanced Lifeline and Link-Up in Indian Country.
Customers of either program can also sign up for toll blocking or toll limitation service that either blocks or limits long-distance calls from your phone.
Both programs have eligibility requirements. You may qualify if you participate in any of the following programs:- Medicaid (example, Title XIX/Medical State Supplemental Assistance)
- Food Stamps
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8)
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
- National School Lunch Free Lunch Program
- Or, if your household income is no more than 135 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines (see table below). You must provide documentation of your income when applying under this option.
| 2008 Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number in Residence | 135% Guideline (Annual) | 135% Guideline (Monthly) | Number in Residence | 135% Guideline (Annual) | 135% Guideline (Monthly) | |
| 1 | $14,040 | $1,170 | 5 | $33,480 | $2,790 | |
| 2 | $18,900 | $1,575 | 6 | $38,340 | $3,195 | |
| 3 | $23,760 | $1,980 | 7 | $43,200 | $3,600 | |
| 4 | $28,620 | $2,385 | 8 | $48,060 | $4,005 | |
For each additional person after 8, add $4,680 to the annual guideline or $405 to the monthly guideline. |
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(Applicable to the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia only.)
To apply for Lifeline or Link-Up, complete this form (print off and fill out) and return it to your local telephone company. A company representative will contact you to verify your eligibility and complete the application process.
Important Information- If you qualify based on participation in a federal aid program, the phone must be in the name of the person who receives those benefits in order to be part of Lifeline or Link-Up. If you qualify based on the National School Lunch Free Lunch Program, the phone can be in the name of an adult.
- Lifeline is available on only one line per household.
- Lifeline and Link-Up discounts cannot be applied to past due telephone bills.
- Once you are on Lifeline, you will be periodically asked to verify that you remain eligible. If you do not respond, the phone company is required to stop the discounts.
- It can take up to two months for the discounts to show up on your bill as a credit. You must pay the bill until that time.
- Link-Up will not cover the cost of a phone or wiring your home.
- You must notify the telephone company when you no longer qualify for the program.
