USACLifelineSafe Connections Act
SCA Continued Eligibility

SCA Continued Eligibility

The Safe Connections Act (SCA) continued eligibility process confirms if survivors are eligible to receive the standard Lifeline benefit once the survivor benefit emergency support period of six months has ended.

SCA Continued Eligibility Overview

After receiving the survivor benefit for three months (i.e., the survivor appeared on 3 snapshot reports), SCA subscribers who qualified for the benefit through an SCA specific method must undergo a continued eligibility process to show they qualify to receive the standard Lifeline benefit.

SCA subscribers will have 75 days to successfully complete the process online or by mail.  

If an SCA subscriber does not successfully complete the continued eligibility process, USAC will de-enroll them from the Lifeline program within five business days, after the subscriber has received the benefit for six months.

  • If a subscriber qualified for the survivor benefit through one of the standard Lifeline qualifying methods or is enrolled as an SCA subscriber in an opt-out state (Oregon or Texas), they will not undergo the continued eligibility process.
  • If subscribers are enrolled in an opt-out state as an SCA subscriber, after they have received the survivor benefit for six months (appeared on six snapshot reports) they will be de-enrolled from the program and will need to reapply for Lifeline through their state’s regular Lifeline application process.
  • If subscribers qualified for the survivor benefit through one of the standard Lifeline methods, they will remain enrolled in the National Lifeline Accountability Database (NLAD) and will receive the standard Lifeline benefit (or enhanced Tribal benefit if they live on qualifying Tribal lands) after they have appeared on six snapshot reports. Their Lifeline recertification efforts will be handled through the standard annual recertification process.

SCA Subscriber Status Report

Service providers can review the SCA Subscriber Status Report in NLAD to identify and track the status of SCA subscribers undergoing the SCA continued eligibility process. The report allows service providers to:

  • Track the latest status of SCA subscribers, including when they enrolled or de-enrolled, how many snapshots they have appeared on, and the SCA group (SCA Eligibility, Lifeline Eligibility, Opt-Out States, or Former SCA Subscriber) with which they are associated.
    • SCA Eligibility refers to SCA subscribers who qualified through SCA specific eligibility criteria.
    • Lifeline Eligibility refers to SCA subscribers who qualified through Lifeline specific eligibility criteria.
    • Opt-Out States refers to SCA subscribers in Oregon or Texas.
    • Former SCA Subscriber refers to subscribers who already received the benefit for 6 months or are no longer eligible for the survivor benefit.
  • Identify subscribers that are undergoing the SCA continued eligibility process and show an up-to-date continued eligibility status for these subscribers.
    • The three continued eligibility status types will indicate where a subscriber is throughout the process (e.g., Confirmed Lifeline Eligibility, Confirming Lifeline Eligibility, Failed to Confirm Lifeline Eligibility).

SCA Consumer Outreach

USAC manages subscriber communications for the SCA continued eligibility process. USAC will conduct outreach to SCA subscribers once SCA subscribers have received the survivor benefit for three months and have appeared on three snapshot reports. USAC will contact SCA subscribers based on how they chose to receive outreach (mail, email, text message, or phone).

Below is a summary of outreach that SCA subscribers will receive once they have received the benefit for three months.

  • Subscribers who qualified through an SCA specific method will receive outreach from USAC informing them about the process, and that they must complete it within 75 days or they will be de-enrolled from the program after they have received the survivor benefit for six months.
  • Subscribers who qualified through a Lifeline specific method will receive outreach that informs them they will remain enrolled in Lifeline and start receiving the standard Lifeline benefit (or enhanced Tribal benefit if they live on qualifying Tribal lands). These subscribers will not undergo the continued eligibility process and do not have to take any action. However, they may only be eligible for the reduced voice-only Lifeline benefit of $5.25 if they are on a qualifying voice-only plan.
  • Subscribers who enrolled in the survivor benefit through an Opt-Out State will receive outreach that informs them when their emergency support period ends, and that they will need to re-apply for Lifeline through their state’s application process. They will be de-enrolled from the program after they have received the survivor benefit for six months.

SCA Service Provider Outreach

Service providers may receive two different emails from NLAD to help track the status of their subscribers undergoing the SCA continued eligibility process.

  1. Service providers will receive an initial email notice informing them that one or more subscribers are undergoing the SCA continued eligibility process for a given Study Area Code (SAC).
  2. If applicable, a second email notice will be sent to service providers with a list of subscribers who have been de-enrolled from the program because they failed to successfully complete the SCA continued eligibility process.

These notices will be sent to the eligible telecommunications carrier (ETC) Administrator user role in NLAD and any other user the ETC added as an email recipient on NLAD notices.