Eligibility

Consumers

• Consumers who have been approved for individual FEMA disaster housing assistance or determined by FEMA to be eligible for individual disaster housing assistance relating to Hurricane Katrina who do not have any obligation under FEMA rules to repay FEMA for the support are eligible.
• A consumer will be required to provide documentary evidence to the eligible telecommunications company providing the discounts to demonstrate that FEMA determined he or she was eligible for individual disaster housing assistance.
• Support is limited to one Lifeline benefit per household.

Household Definition

• For purposes of the Lifeline and Link Up Assistance for consumers affected by Hurricane Katrina, “household” is defined as one adult and his or her dependents, living together in the same residence.
• A household may receive Link Up support for both their temporary residence and their permanent residence. Consumers will also have to certify that they were residents of counties designated by FEMA as eligible for individual assistance.

Telecommunications Carriers

• A telecommunications carrier providing Lifeline and Link Up benefits to eligible consumers affected by Hurricane Katrina must be designated as an “eligible telecommunications carrier” (ETC) in order to receive reimbursement from the federal universal service program.
• Telecommunications carriers that are not ETCs can apply to the Federal Communications Commission for ETC designation in order to offer Hurricane Katrina Lifeline support.

Areas Eligible for Support

• Lifeline assistance is available in any state in which eligible consumers affected by Hurricane Katrina have relocated.
• Link Up Assistance for commencing telecommunications service to a temporary residence is also available in any state in which eligible consumers have relocated.
• Link Up Assistance for reconnecting telecommunications service to a permanent residence is available only in counties or parishes defined as the “Hurricane Katrina disaster area.”