About Lifeline

Lifeline is a federal benefit that lowers the monthly cost of phone or internet service.

Rules

If you qualify, your household can get Lifeline for phone or internet service, but not both.

• If you get Lifeline for phone service, you can get the benefit for one mobile phone or one home phone, but not both.
• If you get Lifeline for internet service, you can get the benefit for your mobile phone or your home connection, but not both.
• If you get Lifeline for bundled phone and internet service, you can get the benefit for your mobile phone bundled service or your home bundled service, but not both.

Your household cannot get Lifeline from more than one phone or internet company.

You are only allowed to get one Lifeline benefit per household, not per person. If more than one person in your household gets Lifeline, you are breaking the FCC’s rules and will lose your benefit.

What is a household?

A household is a group of people who live together and share income and expenses (even if they are not related to each other).

Do not give your benefit to another person

Lifeline is non-transferable. You cannot give your Lifeline benefit to another person, even if they qualify.

Be honest on this form

You must give accurate and true information on this form and on all Lifeline-related forms or questionnaires. If you give false or fraudulent information, you will lose your Lifeline benefit (i.e., de-enrollment or being barred from the program) and the United States government can take legal actions against you. This may include (but is not limited to) fines or imprisonment.

You may need to show other documents

You will need to show your phone or internet company an official document from one of the government qualifying programs or prove your annual income. Please provide copies of your official documents with this application. Include the documents in option 1 or option 2 below:

1. If you qualify through a government program: copies of your state ID card and an official document from the program you are qualifying through (your SNAP card, Medicaid card, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefit letter, Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA) award letter, or other accepted documents).
2. If you qualify through your income: copies of your state ID card and your last state, federal, or Tribal tax return, pay stubs for 3 consecutive months, or other accepted documents. Visit lifelinesupport.org to see the full list of accepted documents.

Visit lifelinesupport.org to see the full list of accepted documents.

Tribal
Tribal lands include any federally recognized Indian tribe's reservation, pueblo, or colony, including former reservations in Oklahoma; Alaska Native regions established pursuant to the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (85 Stat. 688); Indian allotments; Hawaiian Home Lands—areas held in trust for Native Hawaiians by the state of Hawaii, pursuant to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, 1920 July 9, 1921, 42 Stat. 108, et. seq., as amended; and any land designated as such by the Commission for purposes of this subpart pursuant to the designation process in the FCC's Lifeline rules. 

Qualify for Lifeline

Qualifying Programs

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) (Food Stamps)
• Supplemental Social Security Income (SSI)
• Medicaid
• Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
• Veterans Pension or Survivors Benefit Programs

Tribal Specific Programs

• Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) General Assistance
• Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF)
• Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
• Tribal Head Start (only households that meet the income qualifying standard)

OR

Qualifying Income

(Only fill this out if you do not qualify through a government program.)

Agreement to Receive Notifications

I agree to receive notifications including text messages, email and phone calls (by automatic telephone dialing system, manually, or with prerecorded/artificial voice messages) from Access Wireless including, but not limited to, marketing messages, promotional offers, and informational messages on my Access Wireless cell phone number about the Wireless Rewards program with the Kroger family of stores. I acknowledge that this consent is not a condition of purchasing any property, goods, or services. I understand that messaging and data rates generally do not apply to these messages and that I may withdraw my consent to receive these messages at any time by dialing 611 from my Access Wireless cell phone. Opting out will not affect the ability of Access Wireless to contact me with messages about my Access Wireless account via manually dialed, autodialed, or prerecorded/artificial voice calls, texts, or by email. 

Notice

PAPERWORK REDUCTION ACT NOTICE: Section 54.410 of the Federal Communications Commission’s rules requires all Lifeline subscribers to demonstrate their eligibility to receive Lifeline services. This collection of information stems from the Commission’s authority under Section 254 of the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, 47 U.S.C. §254. Using this authority, the FCC has designated USAC as the permanent Lifeline Administrator. The FCC has published rules detailing how consumers can qualify for Lifeline services and what Lifeline services they may receive (47 CFR §54.400 et seq.). The data provided in response to this information collection will be used by USAC to verify the applicant’s eligibility for Lifeline services.

We have estimated that each response to this collection of information will take, on average, between 0.25 and 0.75 hours. Our estimate includes the time to read the questions, look through existing records, gather the required data, and actually complete and review the form or response. If you have any comments on this estimate, or how we can improve the collection and reduce the burden it causes you, please write to the Federal Communications Commission, OMD-PERM, Paperwork Reduction Project (3060-0819), Washington, D.C. 20554. We also will accept your comments via the Internet if you send them to PRA@fcc.gov. Please DO NOT SEND COMPLETED DATA COLLECTION FORMS TO THIS ADDRESS.

Remember – You are not required to respond to a collection of information sponsored by the Federal government, and the government may not conduct or sponsor this collection, unless it displays a currently valid Office of Management and Budget (OMB) control number. This collection has been assigned an OMB control number of 3060-0819.

The Commission is authorized under the Communications Act of 1934, as amended, to collect the information we request on this form. If we believe there may be a violation or potential violation of a statute or a Commission regulation, rule, or order, your response may be referred to the Federal, state, or local agency responsible for investigating, prosecuting, enforcing, or implementing the statute, rule, regulation, or order.

If you do not provide the information we request on this form, you will not be eligible to receive Lifeline services under the Lifeline Program rules, 47 C.F.R. §§ 54.400-54.423.

The foregoing Notice is required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, P.L. No. 104-13, 44 U.S.C. § 3501, et seq.

PRIVACY ACT STATEMENT: The Privacy Act is a law that requires the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to explain why we are asking individuals for personal information and what we are going to do with this information after we collect it.

Authority: Section 254 of the Communications Act (47 U.S.C. § 254), as amended, 47 U.S.C. §254, authorizes the FCC to operate the Lifeline program. Using this authority, the FCC has designated USAC as the permanent Lifeline Administrator. The FCC has published rules detailing how consumers can qualify for Lifeline services and what Lifeline services they may receive (47 CFR §54.400 et seq.).

Purpose: We are collecting this personal information so we can verify that you qualify for the Lifeline program and so we can efficiently provide Lifeline services to you. We access, maintain and use your personal information in the manner described in the Lifeline System of Records Notice (SORN), FCC/WCB-1, which we have published in 82 Fed. Reg. 38686 (Aug. 15, 2017). Routine Uses: We may share the personal information you enter into this form with other parties for specific purposes, such as: with contractors that help us operate the Lifeline program; with other federal and state government agencies that help us determine your Lifeline eligibility; with the telecommunications companies that provide you Lifeline service; and with law enforcement and other officials investigating potential violations of Lifeline rules. A complete listing of the ways we may use your information is published in the Lifeline SORN described in the “Purpose” paragraph of this statement.

Disclosure: You are not required to provide the information we are requesting, but if you do not, you will not be eligible to receive

Lifeline services under the Lifeline Program rules, 47 C.F.R. §§ 54.400-54.423.