What is Lifeline?

Lifeline is a program to help make communication services more affordable for low-income households. Lifeline provides subscribers a discount on monthly telephone service purchased from participating providers. Subscribers can also purchase discounted broadband from participating providers. The discounts will help ensure that low-income households can afford 21st-century broadband and the access it provides to jobs, education, and other opportunities.

Lifeline Discount

The Lifeline program is administered in a partnership arrangement between the Federal Communications Commission and the Missouri PSC. The federal universal service fund and the Missouri universal service fund jointly fund the Lifeline program. The Lifeline discount may be as much as $15.75 per month, depending on the service to which the discount is applied.

Lifeline Eligibility Requirements

Streamlined eligibility requirements for the Lifeline Program include an applicant’s participation in at least one of the following programs.

·         Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP)

·         MO HealthNet (Medicaid)

·         Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

·         Federal Public Housing Assistance

·         Veteran’s Pension or Survivor’s Pension benefit

·         Or income-based eligibility (At or below 135% of Federal Poverty Guidelines)

Participants in the Lifeline Program may receive one discount, which may be applied to only one service.  A service may include mobile voice (cell phone), mobile data (cell phone data or cellular hotspot), fixed voice (home telephone), or fixed broadband (home Internet – fiber, DSL, cable).  Participation is subject to annual re-certification.

More Details

More details are available by visiting https://www.lifelinesupport.org.

To start an application, visit the Lifeline National Verifier website at https://www.checklifeline.org/lifeline.

Have questions?  Call us at (800) 585-6454, or stop by our office.