About Low Income:

• Overview of the Program
• Overview of the Process
• Site Visits
• Understanding Audits
• Filing Appeals
• Training Events

Low Income Tools:

• Latest News
• Calendar/Reminders
• Required Forms
• Disbursement Data
• Rules and Orders
• Tips and Best Practices
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Program Compliance - Whistleblower Hotline
• Submitting A Complaint

Step 1: Lifeline Support

Lifeline assistance lowers the cost of basic, monthly local telephone service.

There are four levels of Lifeline support, referred to as "Tiers." The level of support provided for each Tier is detailed below.

• Tier 1 support, available to all eligible Lifeline subscribers, is equal to the incumbent eligible telecommunications carrier's (ETC's) actual federal tariffed subscriber line charge (SLC). This information can be found in the publicly filed tariff of the incumbent ETC. Note that the SLC is the same as the end-user common line charge (EUCL). Carriers should keep in mind that the interstate SLC rates contained in the interstate access tariffs may be revised at any time, so it is important to confirm that the carrier is reporting the most current data. The SLC rate, and therefore Tier 1 support, is capped at $6.50.

• Tier 2 support, an additional $1.75 per month of federal Lifeline support, is available if the carrier certifies that it will pass through the full amount of Tier 2 support to its qualifying low-income consumers and if the carrier has received any non-federal regulatory approvals necessary to implement the required rate reduction.

• Tier 3 support is an additional amount of federal Lifeline support equal to one-half the amount of any state-mandated Lifeline support, or one half of any Lifeline support provided by the carrier, up to a maximum of $1.75 per month. Customers can receive Tier 3 support provided that the carrier has received any non-federal regulatory approvals and will pass through the full amount of Tier 3 support to its qualifying low-income consumers.

• Tier 4 support is additional federal Lifeline support of up to $25 per month available to eligible residents of tribal lands, as defined in 47 C.F.R. § 54.400(e), as long as that amount does not bring the basic local residential rate below $1 per month per qualifying low-income subscriber.