Announcements

March 14, 2024
Additional March Monthly Maintenance 

March 15 Additional System Maintenance

USAC will be conducting an additional monthly maintenance starting on Friday, March 15 from 10 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, March 16. National Verifier (NV) Portal, NV Carrier API, National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD), Lifeline Claims System (LCS), Representative Accountability Database (RAD), and the Affordable Connectivity Claims System (ACCS) will be unavailable during this time.

March 22 System Maintenance

NV Portal, NV Carrier API, and NLAD will be unavailable due to a regularly scheduled monthly maintenance starting Friday, March 22 from 10 p.m. to 3 a.m. ET on Saturday March 23.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

February 29, 2024
February Lifeline Newsletter
  • Reverification Resumes for Group Two
  • 2024 Recertification Is Ongoing
  • Lifeline Program Compliance Reminder: Keep NLAD Up to Date
  • March Webinar: Getting Started with NLAD
  • March Maintenance Schedule
  • System Maintenance

View full newsletter

February 22, 2024
Recertification Notice

Recertification is an annual requirement for Lifeline subscribers. USAC conducts recertification to ensure that active Lifeline subscribers, including those who also participate in the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), are still eligible for the Lifeline benefit.

Starting Wednesday, February 28, 2024, USAC will initiate automated eligibility database checks to verify the eligibility of subscribers due for recertification in 2024. This process will occur over the course of a few months.

  • Subscribers who pass the automated check will complete the 2024 recertification requirement and will not need to take any action for their 2024 recertification. 
  • Subscribers who fail the automated check will be required to recertify their continued eligibility through a manual process. USAC will conduct outreach to those subscribers. 

Subscribers who participate in both Lifeline and ACP and pass the USAC-conducted Lifeline recertification process will not need to undergo a separate ACP recertification process. Given that funding for the ACP is projected to run through April 2024 (this date is an estimate and may change), status for the 2024 ACP recertification process is still being determined. USAC will provide more information regarding ACP recertification efforts at a later date.

What This Means for Service Providers
Service providers should regularly monitor the “Recertification Subscriber Status Report” in the National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) to identify subscribers undergoing recertification. This report will update daily to reflect the results of the automated checks. 

USAC encourages service providers to educate subscribers about USAC, why we are reaching out to them, and our recertification process. However, service providers should not provide or estimate deadlines, as these deadlines are subject to change.

To learn more about the recertification process, visit the Recertification webpage or view the Recertification 101 training.

What This Means for Subscribers
Starting in March, USAC will conduct outreach to subscribers who fail the automated eligibility checks. Subscribers will have an approximately 60-day window to recertify through a manual process. 

If a subscriber receives a letter in the mail from USAC, they must take action to recertify their benefit. Subscribers will need to complete the Lifeline Recertification Form (English or Spanish). Some subscribers will also need to provide income or eligibility documentation to prove their continued eligibility for the program. USAC will notify subscribers if they need to provide documentation

February 21, 2024
February Monthly Maintenance Reminder

February 23 Systems Maintenance

National Verifier (NV) Portal, NV Carrier API, National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD), Lifeline Claims System (LCS), Representative Accountability Database (RAD), and the Affordable Connectivity Claims System (ACCS) will be unavailable due to scheduled monthly maintenance starting Friday, February 23 from 10 p.m. until 3:00 a.m. ET on Saturday, February 24.We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.Note: All scheduled maintenance dates for NLAD and NV are available on the USAC website.

February 8, 2024
Group One Reverification Update

Group One De-Enrollment Window Closing
Reverification for Group One is nearly finalized. USAC is actively conducting outreach to subscribers who require additional documentation to complete reverification. Consumers who fail to successfully complete the reverification process will be de-enrolled and mailed a de-enrollment notice. De-enrollments will occur February 9 through February 17, following the submission window deadline notified for each subscriber. Service providers are encouraged to monitor the Failed Reverification De-Enroll Report in NLAD to see which subscribers failed the reverification process and have been de-enrolled.

Additional Group Updates/Reminders
Group Two
Document submission for group two remains postponed. USAC will notify service providers when the submission window is expected to open.

Group Three
Service providers must collect and submit all final documentation to USAC. All final documentation is due by June 28, 2024.

Group Four
No action is required at this time. USAC will notify service providers later in the year when more details are available.

For more information on the Lifeline reverification process, providers can visit USAC’s Reverification page. Additional information on acceptable documentation is available on the Resolve Application Errors page.

February 5, 2024
USAC One Portal Maintenance – February 9

USAC will perform system updates on One Portal on Friday, February 9 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

During this time all applications within One Portal will be inaccessible, including E-File, the E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC), the National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD), Rural Health Care’s My Portal and RHC Connect, the High Cost Universal Broadband (HUBB) portal, and several additional smaller-usage applications. The National Verifier WILL NOT be affected during this system update.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

February 1, 2024
Resolved: Lifeline & ACP Support Center Calls and Emails Disrupted

The issue preventing consumers from reaching the Lifeline Support Center and ACP Support Center has been resolved. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

February 1, 2024
Lifeline & ACP Support Center Calls and Emails Disrupted

The Lifeline Support Center and ACP Support Center are experiencing technical difficulties that may prevent consumers from reaching support staff by phone or email. We are actively working to identify the issue and apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

January 30, 2024
January Lifeline Newsletter
  • Reverification Update
  • Form 555 Submission Window Closing
  • Hawaii Waiver Enrollment Ending Soon
  • Lifeline Program Compliance Reminder: Non-Usage
  • February Webinar: How to Apply for Lifeline
  • February Maintenance Schedule
  • System Maintenance

View full newsletter

January 17, 2024
January Monthly Maintenance Reminder

January 19 Systems Maintenance

National Verifier (NV) Portal, NV Carrier API, National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD), Lifeline Claims System (LCS), Representative Accountability Database (RAD), and the Affordable Connectivity Claims System (ACCS) will be unavailable due to a scheduled monthly maintenance starting Friday, January 19 from 10 p.m. until Saturday, January 20 at 3 a.m. ET.We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Note: All scheduled maintenance dates for NLAD and NV are available on the USAC website.

January 16, 2024
Reverification Update

Group 2 Submission Window Postponed
Document submission for Group Two is postponed for an indefinite period, additional time is needed to begin this collection process with service providers.

Service providers should disregard Group Two reporting referenced on the Reverification Subscriber Status Report in the National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) until further notice. USAC will notify service providers when the submission window is expected to open and up-to-date reporting is available.

Additional Group Updates/Reminders
Group 1
The window to receive all final documentation has been updated to February 5 – 10, 2024.

Group 3
Service providers must collect and submit all final documentation to USAC. All final documentation is due by June 28, 2024.

Note: Additional Study Area Codes (SAC)’s have been added to Group 3. SAC’s include: 489014, 499011, 499016, 509014, 499001, 509002, 459024, and 459001.

Group 4
No action is required at this time. USAC will notify service providers later in 2024 when more details are available.

Reverification Reporting
Refer to the Reverification Subscriber Status Report available on the reports page in NLAD to identify the following:

Subscribers – Subscribers with a FAIL status still need to complete reverification.

Group – Service providers may have subscribers in multiple groups. This information can be referenced under the “Reverification Group” field. 

Failures – Further information about documentation required to resolve failure(s) is available on USAC’s Reverification page.

Note: The Reverification Subscriber Status Report Instructions are available on the reports page in NLAD. The document provides a detailed overview of each field on the reverification report. The ‘Failed Attempt Reason’ field is nonfunctioning, please disregard this field.

De-Enrollments

De-enrollments will occur daily during each specified reverification group’s final documentation window. Service providers are encouraged to monitor the Reverification Subscriber Status Report.

Additional Resources
Service providers are encouraged to view the Quick Reference Guide to assist with interpreting reverification report data. For more information on the Lifeline reverification process, providers can visit USAC’s Reverification page.

Acceptable Documentation Requirements
Additional information on acceptable documentation is available on the Resolve Application Errors page.

December 28, 2023
December Lifeline Newsletter
  • Reminder: FCC Form 555 Due January 31, 2024
  • USAC’s System Enhancement
  • Lifeline Program Compliance Reminder: Non-Usage
  • January Maintenance Schedule
  • January Webinar: Year in Review and Reverification
  • Support Center: Closed for New Year Holiday

View full newsletter

December 20, 2023
Connectivity Issues in Lifeline and ACP Systems Resolved & Monthly Maintenance Reminder

USAC is aware that users were experiencing intermittent issues performing transactions in Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) systems, including the National Verifier (NV), NV Carrier API, and National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) from 1:45 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. ET on December 19. The systems have been stable since yesterday evening, and this bulletin serves as notification that the problem is resolved.

As a reminder, USAC will be performing its scheduled monthly maintenance tonight, December 20 from 10 p.m. until Thursday, December 21 at 3 a.m. ET. NV and NV Carrier API will be unavailable and NLAD functions that are NV dependent will also be affected.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Note: All scheduled maintenance dates for NLAD and NV are available on the USAC website.

December 13, 2023
FCC Form 555 Available Now; Due by January 31, 2024

The FCC Form 555 (Annual Lifeline Eligible Telecommunications Carrier (ETC) Certification form) is available for the 2023 filing in One Portal. The form is due by Wednesday, January 31, 2024, to USAC, the FCC (Docket 14-171), and relevant state and Tribal governments. Note that the form has changed from last year.Reminder: This is an annual Lifeline program form. Service providers should not report data on the Affordable Connectivity Program on this form.

Bulk Upload Available

The online FCC Form 555 allows for single form entry/certification, as well as bulk entry/certification, for service providers submitting forms for multiple study area codes (SACs). To start, download the FCC Form 555 Bulk Upload Template from the Lifeline Forms page and fill out the template. Next, log in to One Portal and select “FCC Form 555” under the Lifeline section. Select “Bulk Upload” and upload your completed template.

Resources

USAC encourages users to review the resources listed below to learn more about submission of FCC Form 555:

  • Review common questions about completing the form on the FCC form 555 FAQ page.
  • Review FCC Form 555 Demo.
  • Review the December monthly webinar for a walkthrough of the form and the FCC form 555 supplemental information.
  • Need FCC Form 555 help? Contact us!
  • For One Portal login support, email: CustomerSupport@usac.org or call (888) 641-8722.

Visit the Lifeline section of USAC’s website to find additional FCC Form 555 information.

December 8, 2023
System Maintenance Notice

National Verifier (NV), NV Carrier API, National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD), Lifeline Claims System (LCS), Representative Accountability Database (RAD), and the Affordable Connectivity Claims System (ACCS) staging environments will be unavailable due to maintenance starting Wednesday, December 13 from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. ET. The production environments for these systems will be accessible during the maintenance window.

December 6, 2023
Reminder: Lifeline Reverification

Reverification Starts for Groups 1 and 3
USAC has initiated the reverification process to verify the continued eligibility for a limited group of subscribers who have not yet completed the process. Reverification is the one-time process USAC conducts to confirm that all subscribers enrolled in the Lifeline program pre-National Verifier meet the National Verifier’s eligibility standards.

Submission Window Opening

Group 1
Subscribers will have 60 days to submit the required documentation. USAC will de-enroll from the National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) subscribers that fail to successfully complete reverification and notify affected subscribers by mail. All final documentation is due between February 9 – 17, 2024.

Group 3
Service providers must collect and submit all final documentation to USAC. All final documentation is due by June 28, 2024.

Reverification Reporting

Refer to the Reverification Subscriber Status Report available on the reports page in NLAD for the following:

  • Identify Subscribers – Subscribers with a FAIL status still need to complete reverification.
  • Identify Group – Service providers may have subscribers in one or both groups. This information can be referenced under the “Reverification Group” field.
  • Identify Failures – Further information about documentation required to resolve failure(s) is available on USAC’s Reverification page.

Note: The Reverification Subscriber Status Report Instructions are available on the reports page in NLAD. The document provides a detailed overview of each field on the reverification report. The ‘Failed Attempt Reason’ field is nonfunctioning, please disregard this field.

Acceptable Documentation Requirements

For more information on the Lifeline reverification process, providers can visit USAC’s Reverification page. Additional information on acceptable documentation is available on the Resolve Application Errors page.

November 30, 2023
November Lifeline Newsletter
  • FCC Form 555 Due January 31, 2024
  • Hurricane Idalia Relief Waiver Expires December 1
  • Lifeline Program Compliance Reminder: Qualifying Assistance Programs
  • Support Center: Operating Schedule Through Year-End
  • December Maintenance Schedule
  • December Webinar: FCC Form 555

View full newsletter

November 30, 2023
Reverification

USAC is starting the reverification process to verify the continued eligibility for a limited group of subscribers who have not yet completed the process. Reverification is the one-time process USAC conducts to confirm that all subscribers enrolled in the Lifeline program pre-National Verifier meet the National Verifier’s eligibility standards.

National Verifier Automated Database Checks Complete

In October 2023, USAC conducted new automated database checks and created new reverification applications for Lifeline subscribers due for reverification. Documentation previously submitted to resolve errors has been applied to the new applications, except for proof of eligibility and proof of life documentation.   

Next Steps

Starting December 4, 2023, service providers may start referencing the Reverification Subscriber Status Report in the National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) to identify subscribers undergoing the reverification process.

USAC has sorted subscribers due for reverification into groups, each with different reverification procedures. Providers should refer to the “Reverification Group” listed on the reverification report to identify the timeline for each subscriber:

  • Group 1 (Final Outreach to Subscribers): Starting on December 6, USAC will conduct outreach to subscribers who require additional documentation to complete their reverification. Subscribers will have 60 days to submit the required documentation. USAC will de-enroll from NLAD subscribers that fail to successfully complete reverification and notify affected subscribers by mail.  All final documentation is due between February 9 – 17, 2024.
  • Group 2 (Existing Documentation Due):Starting on January 9, USAC will open the 45-day window for service providers to provide on-hand documentation to USAC. All on-hand documentation is due by February 23, 2024.
    • Providers will need to mail the on-hand documentation and the reverification cover sheet (required for every subscriber) to the Lifeline Support Center at P.O. Box 9100 Wilkes-Barre, PA 18773. 

After the on-hand document submission window closes, USAC will conduct outreach to subscribers to collect documentation for any unresolved errors.

  • Group 3 (Final Documentation Due): Starting on December 6, 2023, USAC will open the final document submission window for service providers to conduct outreach to subscribers. Service providers must collect and submit all final documentation to USAC. All final documentation is due by June 28, 2024.
  • Group 4 (Final Outreach to Subscribers): Starting May 15, 2024, USAC will conduct outreach to subscribers who require additional documentation to complete their reverification. These subscribers may not appear on the reverification report until later in 2024. All final documentation is due between July 17 – 19, 2024.

Note: Service providers may have subscribers in all or some of these groups.

Acceptable Documentation Requirements

Providers should pull the Reverification Subscriber Status Report in NLAD to review the outstanding failures for each subscriber.

FailureDocumentation Required to Resolve Failure
Data Source Check FailProof of program or income eligibility
TPIV DOB FailureProof of date of birth
TPIV SSN FailureProof of last four digits of SSN or Tribal ID number
TPIV Not Found FailureProof of identity
TPIV DeceasedProof of life
AMS FailProof of address
Duplicate Address FailureLifeline Household Worksheet
Cert Form RequiredLifeline Application Form

Service providers can submit existing on-hand documentation to resolve address, identity, or duplicate address failures. However, recent documentation will be required for subscribers with eligibility or deceased failures. 

  • Proof of eligibility documentation must have an issue date within the last 12 months or have a future expiration date and will require submission of a new Lifeline application form. 
  • Proof of life documentation must have an issue date within the last 3 months.

For more information on the Lifeline reverification process, providers can visit USAC’s Reverification page. Additional information on acceptable documentation is available on the Resolve Application Errors page. 

November 16, 2023
November Monthly Maintenance Schedule Update

November 17 Systems Maintenance

National Verifier (NV) Carrier API, National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD), Lifeline Claims System (LCS), Representative Accountability Database (RAD), and the Affordable Connectivity Claims System (ACCS) will be unavailable due to a scheduled monthly maintenance starting Friday, November 17 at 10 p.m. until at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday, November 18.
The NV Portal will still be accessible but certain functionalities will be impacted.

November 30 Systems Maintenance

NV Portal and NV Carrier API will be unavailable due to a scheduled monthly maintenance starting Thursday, November 30 from 8:30 p.m. until Friday, December 1 at 6 a.m. ET. This is replacing the originally scheduled maintenance for November 22. NLAD functions that are NV dependent will also be affected.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Note: All scheduled maintenance dates for NLAD and NV are available on the USAC website.

November 8, 2023
November 17 Maintenance Correction

National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD), Lifeline Claims System (LCS), NV Carrier API, and the Affordable Connectivity Claims System (ACCS) maintenance window for Friday, November 17 announced in the Lifeline October monthly newsletter has been updated. The new maintenance window will start on Friday, November 17 at 10 p.m. and end at 8 a.m. ET on Saturday, November 18.

The National Verifier (NV) Portal will still be accessible but certain functionalities will be impacted.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

Note: All scheduled maintenance dates for NLAD and NV are available on the USAC website.

November 3, 2023
System Notice: Connectivity Issues in Lifeline and ACP Systems

USAC is aware that users are experiencing issues performing transactions in Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) systems, including the National Verifier (NV) and National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD). The connectivity issues began around 12:50 p.m. ET.

USAC is actively working on resolving the issues and will share further updates as they become available. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

October 31, 2023
October Lifeline Newsletter
  • Hawaii Recertification and Non-Usage Waiver Expires October 31
  • Reminder: Minimum Service Standards Effective December 1, 2023
  • Lifeline Support Center PO Box Transition Reminder
  • Lifeline Program Compliance Reminder: Obtaining Consent and Consumer Certifications
  • Support Center: Operating Schedule Through Year-End
  • November Maintenance Schedule
  • November Webinar: Representative Accountability Database 101

View full newsletter

October 18, 2023
System Notice: Connectivity Issues in National Verifier Resolved

USAC is aware that users were experiencing issues performing transactions in the National Verifier (NV) with eligibility APIs for Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) since 7:45 p.m. ET on October 17.

The issue was resolved at 2:35 p.m. ET on October 18. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

October 18, 2023
System Notice: Connectivity Issues in National Verifier 

USAC is aware that users are experiencing issues performing transactions in the National Verifier (NV) with eligibility APIs for Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) since 7:45 p.m. ET on October 17.

USAC is actively working on resolving the issues and will share further updates as they become available.
 
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.

October 17, 2023
System Notice: Ad-Hoc Maintenance to Lifeline and ACP Systems

USAC is carrying out an ad-hoc maintenance to Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) systems this evening at 6 p.m. ET (October 17). This includes the National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD), National Verifier Portal (NV), and National Verifier Carrier API, the Lifeline Claims System (LCS), and the Affordable Connectivity Claims System (ACCS).

USAC expects the maintenance to last approximately 2 hours, users may experience intermittent issues during this time.

October 16, 2023
Website Access Notification

USAC is aware that USAC.org and LifelineSupport.org were temporarily inaccessible today.

The website access issue has been resolved. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.

October 12, 2023
October Monthly Maintenance Schedule

October 13 Systems Maintenance

National Verifier (NV), National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD), Lifeline Claims System (LCS), Representative Accountability Database (RAD), and the Affordable Connectivity Claims System (ACCS) will be unavailable due to scheduled monthly maintenance starting Friday, October 13 from 10 p.m. until Saturday, October 14 at 6 a.m. ET. 

October 20 Systems Maintenance

NV will be unavailable due to scheduled monthly maintenance starting Friday, October 20 from 10 p.m. until Saturday, October 21 at 3 a.m. ET. NLAD functions that are NV dependent will also be affected.

Note: All scheduled maintenance dates for NLAD and NV are available on the USAC website.

September 27, 2023
September Lifeline Newsletter

September Monthly Newsletter Headlines:

  • Commission Provides Hawaii Wildfire Relief Updates
  • Typhoon Mawar Waiver Expired September 1
  • Maintenance Schedule
  • October Webinar: National Verifier 101

View full newsletter

All announcements can be found in the Announcements Archive.

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