June 16, 2026
California Subscribers Continued Eligibility Slated for August
Under direction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and pursuant to the FCC OIG Advisory Regarding Deceased and Duplicate Lifeline Subscribers, USAC will be initiating a continued eligibility process for federal subscribers who were previously determined eligible by the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC). The continued eligibility process is anticipated to start in August, and subscribers must complete the process within 60 days. This continued eligibility process will take the place of the recertification process for subscribers in California for 2026. California subscribers whose eligibility was determined by the National Verifier will not undergo continued eligibility.
USAC will issue further communications to announce the exact start date for the continued eligibility process for California subscribers and will offer a provider training session on July 8, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET. At this time, service providers are encouraged to inform and educate California subscribers about USAC and the continued eligibility process, but should not share specific timelines, as those are subject to change.
Overview
The continued eligibility process confirms whether existing Lifeline subscribers remain eligible for the Lifeline benefit. California Lifeline subscribers who are required to undergo the continued eligibility process will have 60 days to respond to outreach from USAC, instead of the standard 30-day response window.
Subscribers will first be checked against automated databases to verify their eligibility, identity, address, duplicate address information, and to confirm they are not deceased. If USAC is unable to automatically confirm the subscriber’s information, USAC will contact the subscriber by email or mail with instructions on how to complete the process.
Subscribers who fail to complete the process or provide sufficient documentation by the deadline will be de-enrolled from the National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) within five business days after the end of their 60-day window. De-enrolled subscribers may re-apply for the benefit on LifelineSupport.com, by mail, or with the assistance of a service provider.
Continued Eligibility Subscriber Status Report
USAC will be initiating the process in batches. Service providers will be able to use the Continued Eligibility Status Report in NLAD to identify and track California subscribers undergoing continued eligibility. The report will be updated daily.
Service Provider Outreach
Service providers may receive two email notices from NLAD regarding their California subscribers undergoing the continued eligibility process:
- An initial notice that one or more California subscribers are undergoing the continued eligibility process for a given Study Area Code (SAC)
- If applicable, a second notice identifying California subscribers who were de-enrolled for failing to complete the process
Training & Resources
USAC will host a training on July 8, 2026, at 3 p.m. ET to go over the California continued eligibility process. In the process. In the meantime, service providers are encouraged to review our Continued Eligibility page for a general overview of the continued eligibility process but should note that California subscribers will have 60 days to complete the process, instead of 30 days.
June 11, 2026
Ad-Hoc System Maintenance, June 18
USAC will perform ad-hoc system maintenance on Thursday, June 18. The following systems are impacted:
One Portal
Users will not be able to access the below systems through One Portal from 8 p.m. ET until 10 p.m. ET.
- Lifeline Claims System (LCS)
- National VerifierÂ
- National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD)
- FCC Form 555
Note: API access to the National Verifier and NLAD is not impacted by the One Portal maintenance. See the following section for a separate, overlapping outage that affects API access.
National VerifierÂ
The production environments of the following systems are impacted from9 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET:
- National Verifier Portal
- National Verifier Carrier API
National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) functions that require the National Verifier will also be affected (e.g., enroll or transfer transactions).
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
June 8, 2026
WCB Public Notice: Reminder, FCC Form 481 Due July 1, 2026
On June 5, 2026, the Wireline Competition Bureau (WCB) of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released a Public Notice reminding Eligible Telecommunications Carriers (ETC) participating in the Lifeline programs in accordance with 47 C.F.R. § 54.422 (Lifeline/High Cost and Lifeline-only) of the need to file Form 481 by July 1, 2026 to receive Lifeline support.
All ETCs participating in Lifeline must file and certify the form, even if the provider is not seeking Lifeline support. All outstanding and future Lifeline reimbursements will be withheld from ETCs who do not file FCC Form 481 by July 1, 2026, until the ETC files the required form.
For more information on the filing process, please visit our File FCC Form 481 page and view USAC’s May 19, 2026 training.
June 8, 2026
Ad-Hoc System Maintenance
USAC will perform an ad-hoc system maintenance on Tuesday, June 9, from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET.
The production environments of the following systems are impacted:
- National Verifier Portal
- National Verifier Carrier API Â
National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) functions that require the National Verifier will also be affected (e.g., enroll or transfer transactions).
We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.
June 2, 2026
New Lifeline Instructional Videos
USAC has released a new series of “how to apply for Lifeline” videos, optimized for mobile learning. The instructional video modules serve as a comprehensive resource for consumers seeking to understand how to apply for the benefit. These new videos aim to promote consumer awareness and understanding by sharing key information about the application process, including what type of additional documents consumers should submit if asked.
The new resources are available on the Community Education page on LifelineSupport.org and the Learn: Videos page on USAC.org and includes the following videos:
Consumer advocacy groups, social service agencies, service providers, and other organizations that support Lifeline consumers are encouraged to share these videos and help educate eligible consumers on the application process.
