Lifeline Phone and Internet Discount: How to Apply Through the National Verifier
Lifeline takes up to $9.25 a month off a phone or internet bill, or up to $34.25 on Tribal lands. Most people apply through a federal system called the National Verifier, and the part that trips people up is the paperwork, not the eligibility.
AT A GLANCE
|
Lifeline isn't a big benefit, and it doesn't come as cash. It's a discount the phone or internet company takes off your monthly bill. But many people never have to do anything after approval except respond if USAC asks them to recertify, so a few minutes of paperwork can keep paying off for years. For a household paying for a phone line on a tight budget, it adds up.
The program is set by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and run by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). USAC checks eligibility through the National Verifier, and the phone or internet company applies the discount to your bill.
What Lifeline actually pays
Benefit | Monthly discount | Applies to |
|---|---|---|
Standard | Up to $9.25 | Internet or bundled phone and internet service |
Standard, phone only | Up to $5.25 | Voice-only phone service |
Enhanced Tribal | Up to $34.25 | Phone, internet or bundled service for residents of qualifying Tribal lands |
Tribal Link Up | Up to $100 one time | Voice service activation at a Tribal Lifeline subscriber's home, where the carrier offers it |
The discount can go on a home (wireline) service or a cell phone (wireless) service, but not both. If you buy a bundle, you choose whether the discount applies to the voice part or the internet part.
The FCC also notes that it doesn't pay for hardware. A phone your provider hands you is part of that company's offer, not a federal benefit, so device problems go to the company.
Do you qualify?
There are three routes. You only need one.
1. You're already in a program
You qualify if you, someone in your household, or your child or dependent participates in:
Medicaid
SNAP (food stamps)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Federal Public Housing Assistance, which includes public housing, Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers and project-based rental assistance
Veterans Pension or Survivors Benefit
On qualifying Tribal lands, Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations and income-qualified Head Start also count.
2. Your income is low enough
USAC uses 135% of the 2026 federal poverty guidelines.
Household size | 48 states, D.C. and territories | Alaska | Hawaii |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | $21,546 | $26,933 | $24,786 |
2 | $29,214 | $36,518 | $33,602 |
3 | $36,882 | $46,103 | $42,417 |
4 | $44,550 | $55,688 | $51,233 |
5 | $52,218 | $65,273 | $60,048 |
6 | $59,886 | $74,858 | $68,864 |
7 | $67,554 | $84,443 | $77,679 |
8 | $75,222 | $94,028 | $86,495 |
Each additional person | +$7,668 | +$9,585 | +$8,816 |
3. You're a survivor of domestic violence or trafficking
Under the Safe Connections Act, survivors who have made a line separation request and are facing financial hardship can get up to six months of emergency Lifeline support. Survivors may qualify with income up to 200% of the poverty guidelines, or through WIC, free or reduced-price school meals (including a CEP school), or a Federal Pell Grant in the current award year. USAC says it adds safeguards to protect survivors' information during the application.
Only one Lifeline benefit is allowed per household. The discount can be applied to either a wireline or wireless service.
How to apply through the National Verifier
Start the application. Go to lifelinesupport.org and choose Apply Now, which opens the National Verifier at getinternet.gov. If you live in Texas or Oregon, use your state's Lifeline site instead.
Enter your identity details. You'll give your full name, date of birth, the last four digits of your Social Security number or your Tribal ID number, and your home address. If you qualify through a child or dependent, you'll enter the same details for them.
No permanent address? Use what you have. USAC accepts a temporary address, such as a shelter or a friend's or relative's home, or a description of where you physically live. The online application also has a mapping tool.
Let the system check databases first. The Verifier tries to confirm eligibility automatically. If it can't, USAC will tell you which documents it needs and how to send them.
Pick a company and sign up. Approval alone doesn't lower your bill. Use USAC's Companies Near Me tool to find a participating phone or internet company, then enroll with them so they can apply the discount.
Other ways to apply
You can ask a participating phone or internet company to help you apply. You can also apply by mail with the paper form in English or Spanish, sent to the Lifeline Support Center, PO Box 1000, Horseheads, NY 14845. Instructions come in English and nine other languages. The Lifeline Support Center at (800) 234-9473 can mail you a form and help if you have a disability. It's open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET, seven days a week.
Before you call
☐ Photo ID or another document with your full name and date of birth
☐ The last four digits of your Social Security number, or your Tribal ID number
☐ A benefit letter or portal screenshot for SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, housing aid or VA pension, dated within the last 12 months or with a future expiration date
☐ Or proof of income: last year's tax return, a Social Security or unemployment benefit statement, or three consecutive months of pay stubs
☐ Your home address, or a description of where you live if you don't have a fixed address
☐ The name of any other adult at your address who already gets Lifeline
The documents that work
Most delays come from documents USAC can't accept. Both USAC and the FCC say proof has to be dated within the past 12 months.
What you're proving | What the document must show | Common examples |
|---|---|---|
Program participation | Your name or your dependent's, the program name, the issuing agency, and a date in the last 12 months or a future expiration | Benefit award letter, statement of benefits, benefit verification letter, screenshot of an online benefits portal |
Income | Your name or your dependent's, your annual income, and an issue date in the last 12 months | Prior-year tax return, annual income statement from your job, Social Security or unemployment statement, child support award, three consecutive months of pay stubs |
Identity | Your name and date of birth | Unexpired driver's license, U.S. birth certificate, unexpired passport, government or Tribal ID, permanent resident card |
Last 4 of SSN | Your name and the last four digits | Social Security card, SSA-1099, W-2 from the last 2 years, prior-year tax return |
Address | Your name and address | Utility bill (not from your internet company), lease or mortgage statement, ID, the online map tool |
If another adult at your address already has Lifeline, you'll fill out a short household worksheet. Lifeline counts separate households at one address if they don't share income and expenses, and people in group living facilities can count as separate households.
How to keep the discount
Getting approved is half of it. People most often lose Lifeline for one of three reasons USAC lists: they didn't recertify, they no longer qualify, or they didn't use the service.
Recertify when asked
Each year, USAC (or Texas or Oregon) checks whether you still qualify. If it can confirm that automatically, you don't have to do anything. If it can't, you'll get an email or letter, and you have 60 days to respond. You can recertify online, by mail, or by calling (855) 359-4299 with the application ID from your letter if you don't need to send documents. Miss the deadline and your bill may go up, your free minutes may stop, or your service may be turned off.
Use free service every 30 days
If you don't pay anything out of pocket for your Lifeline service, you have to use it at least once every 30 days. If you don't, your company sends a notice giving you 15 days to use it before the service may be turned off.
Report changes within 30 days
Tell your company within 30 days if you move, stop qualifying, or someone else in your household starts getting Lifeline. The FCC warns that people who keep the benefit after becoming ineligible may face penalties.
Switching companies and your rights
You can move your Lifeline benefit to a different company at any time. Ask the new company to transfer it. They'll need your name, date of birth, last four digits of your SSN or Tribal ID, address, phone number and your consent. Service usually continues without interruption, though you may have to reapply.
USAC lists minimum standards for Lifeline-supported service. For example, a home internet plan must offer at least 25/3 Mbps speeds and 1,280 GB of monthly usage, and a company offering data plans must have at least one hotspot-capable device. If a company won't help you, you can complain to your state utility regulator, USAC or the FCC. To report suspected fraud, including someone using your identity to claim Lifeline, call the FCC's Lifeline Fraud Tip Line at (855) 455-8477.
WHAT TO DO THIS WEEK
|
Related help
Lifeline works alongside city and company discount plans. See our local guides for Chicago internet discounts, Los Angeles internet discounts and Houston and Dallas internet discounts.
Official sources
Last checked: October 23, 2026 (USAC Lifeline pages and the FCC's Lifeline consumer guide, last updated March 3, 2026).
Comments