California Lifeline: What Is It, Discount Types & How to Qualify
What is California Lifeline?
California Lifeline is a state program that provides discounted home phone and cell phone services to qualifying low-income households. It is overseen by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).
The purpose of California Lifeline is to help ensure affordable phone service for all residents. Phone access is considered vital for jobs, education, health care, and emergency services. By providing discounted rates, the program aims to make phone service more affordable for low-income consumers.
California Lifeline provides up to $16.23 off the cost of monthly phone bills. Discounts can be applied to either landline or wireless phone plans with participating providers. The program is available to eligible residents statewide.
California Lifeline was established in 1987 and is funded through surcharges on all telecommunications carriers in the state. Over 2 million Californians currently utilize Lifeline benefits.
Who Qualifies for California Lifeline?
To qualify for the California Lifeline program, you must either participate in certain assistance programs or meet income requirements. The income requirements allow you to qualify if your household’s total annual gross income before taxes is at or below specified limits.
According to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), the income limits for California Lifeline eligibility are based on your household size. For example, as of 2023, a household of 1-2 people can qualify with an annual income of up to $32,500. Households with 3 people can qualify with an income up to $37,700, while households with 4 people can qualify up to $45,900. For each additional household member above 4 people, you can qualify with an income $8,200 higher.
You can view the full income eligibility chart on the CPUC website. The income limits are updated periodically so be sure to check for the latest requirements.
Types of California Lifeline Discounts
There are two main types of discounts available through California Lifeline1:
Telephone Discount
California Lifeline provides a monthly discount on home telephone service up to $17.90 for eligible customers. This applies to both landlines and wireless home phone plans. The telephone discount can be used to reduce the cost of monthly service charges, universal service fees, and regulated taxes and surcharges.
Broadband Discount
California Lifeline also offers a monthly broadband discount of up to $17.90 for internet service. This discount can be applied to any broadband service plan, such as DSL, cable, fiber optic, fixed wireless, or satellite broadband internet. The state recently increased the minimum broadband speed eligibility requirements from 10/1 Mbps to 25/3 Mbps in 2023.
Customers cannot receive both the telephone and broadband discounts at the same time. California Lifeline households must choose either the telephone discount or the broadband discount.
How to Apply for California Lifeline
To apply for the California Lifeline program, you must contact your home or wireless phone service provider directly and request to apply. You can find a list of participating California Lifeline providers by visiting the California Lifeline website.
When you contact the provider, explain that you qualify for California Lifeline and would like to apply. The provider will then guide you through the application process.
Here are some key steps in the California Lifeline application process:
- Confirm your eligibility based on program-based criteria like Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, etc. or income-based criteria.
- Provide proof of eligibility such as a copy of your Medicaid card, SNAP benefits letter, pay stubs, or tax return.
- Complete and submit the California Lifeline application form provided by your phone service provider.
- WaitFor application approval, which may take 1-2 weeks.
- Once approved, select a Lifeline-supported phone service plan.
Having the required eligibility documentation ready will help streamline the application process. You may need to provide photocopies or scanned images to your provider as part of the application.
Using Your California Lifeline Benefits
Once you are approved for California Lifeline, you can start using the monthly discounts right away. The discounts apply to your monthly phone bill, reducing the cost of basic home phone or mobile phone service. For home phone service, you’ll get a discount of $12.75 per month. For mobile phone service, the discount is up to $14.85 per month.
To keep receiving the California Lifeline discounts, you need to recertify your eligibility each year. The program will send you a notification when it’s time to renew. You will need to confirm that you still qualify based on income or program participation. This involves submitting proof of eligibility again, such as recent pay stubs or documentation of government assistance.
If you no longer qualify for California Lifeline, you must notify your phone service provider within 30 days. You will lose eligibility for the discounts if your income rises above the threshold or you leave the qualifying government programs. Failing to recertify or report changes in eligibility may result in penalties or fines.
California Lifeline Carriers
There are several major telecommunication companies that participate in the California Lifeline program and offer discounted service to eligible customers:
Some of the top wireless carriers include EnTouch Wireless, Assurance Wireless, and SafeLink Wireless. EnTouch offers a free Android phone and 350 monthly minutes, texts, and data to California Lifeline recipients. Assurance Wireless provides a free phone and 350 monthly minutes, while SafeLink provides 350 minutes and 3GB of data per month.
Major wireline carriers like AT&T and Verizon also take part in California Lifeline. AT&T offers a $10/month discount on home internet or a $7.25/month discount on landline phone service. Verizon provides a $9.25 monthly discount on Fios home internet plans for eligible customers.
Some smaller regional carriers like Frontier Communications and Virgin Mobile also participate. Frontier offers a $12.75 monthly discount on home phone or internet, while Virgin provides a free phone with 350 monthly minutes.
Customers can check the California Lifeline website’s provider search tool to find all the companies offering California Lifeline discounts in their area.
California Lifeline Eligible Areas
California Lifeline provides discounted home phone and cell phone services to eligible households across most of California. The coverage areas for California Lifeline include:
AT&T California Lifeline is available in most areas across California including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco, Fresno, Sacramento, and more. Check AT&T’s coverage map for specifics.
Verizon California Lifeline covers most of California including major metro areas and rural regions. Check Verizon’s coverage map to confirm service in your area.
T-Mobile California Lifeline covers a large portion of California including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, and San Diego. Refer to their coverage map for full details.
Cricket Wireless California Lifeline covers Los Angeles, Sacramento, Fresno, Modesto and surrounding areas. Check their coverage map to confirm.
California Lifeline services are not available to households on tribal lands, which have separate federal Lifeline programs. Outside of tribal lands, most populated areas in California have California Lifeline coverage through at least one of the major carriers.
California Lifeline Rules
California Lifeline has specific rules that subscribers must follow to remain eligible for the program. Some key rules include:
Usage limits – Subscribers have a usage limit of 1000 minutes per month. Any usage over 1000 minutes will be billed at regular rates by the carrier. According to the CPUC, the average Lifeline customer only uses 325 minutes per month, so the 1000 minute limit provides plenty of extra room.
One per household – Only one Lifeline discount is allowed per household. There are exceptions for households with a resident who has a hearing or speech disability requiring a teletypewriter (TTY). Tribal lands with low income residents may qualify for additional discounts through the enhanced Tribal Lifeline program.
According to the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) guidelines, a “household” is defined as “any individual or group of individuals who are living together at the same address as one economic unit. A household may include related and unrelated persons. An ‘economic unit’ consists of all adult individuals contributing to and sharing in the income and expenses of a household.”
So in general, only one Lifeline discount will be granted for any given residential address. Applying the definition of “household” allows some flexibility for unique living situations, but prevents most duplicates or abuse of the Lifeline program.
California Lifeline Contacts
For any questions or issues related to your California Lifeline service, you can contact the California Public Utilities Commission’s (CPUC) Consumer Affairs Branch at 1-800-649-7570 or visit their website. The Consumer Affairs Branch is available to help California Lifeline customers Monday through Friday from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM, except on state holidays.
You can also contact your specific California Lifeline provider directly for assistance. Their customer service team can help with service-related questions, technical support, billing, and other account management needs. Refer to your monthly bill or account documents for your provider’s customer service number.
For immediate help with your California Lifeline phone service, you can call the California LifeLine Administrator at (866) 272-0349. They can assist with service activations, deactivations, transferring your Lifeline benefit to a new provider, general account support, and other inquiries.
To submit a complaint about your California Lifeline service, you can file a complaint with the CPUC by calling 1-800-649-7570 or filling out a complaint form online at their complaint portal. The CPUC oversees complaints and resolves issues related to California Lifeline providers.
California Lifeline Compared to Federal Lifeline
While the California Lifeline and federal Lifeline programs both provide discounted phone services, there are some key differences between the state and federal programs:
The California Lifeline program offers more generous discounts than the federal Lifeline program. California Lifeline provides up to $16.23 off phone bills, whereas federal Lifeline only provides up to $9.25 off 1.
The eligibility requirements are slightly different. Federal Lifeline has a set income requirement, while California Lifeline income limits vary by household size. Both programs require proof of participation in certain government assistance programs. California Lifeline has additional qualifying programs like WIC and LIHEAP that federal Lifeline does not 2.
California Lifeline can only be used for home phone or cell phone service. Federal Lifeline can also be used for broadband internet. So in California, low-income households may qualify for both Lifeline discounts – one for phone and one for internet.
Overall, California Lifeline provides stronger discounts and serves more low-income households than federal Lifeline. But eligible Californians can benefit from both programs to maximize savings on phone and internet service.
