Lifeline and Link-Up Services

Do you need a phone? Are you having trouble paying your telephone bills? If so, you may be eligible to take advantage of two special programs that help reduce the cost of phone service.

Lifeline Assistance and Link-Up can help qualified customers get phone service and pay their bills. These are public programs implemented by local telephone companies that help eligible households pay for basic telephone hook-up costs and monthly services.

You may be qualified if your household income is no more than 135 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines or if you participate in any of the following programs:

• Medicaid 
  

  Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 
  

  Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) 
  

  Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8) 
  

  Food Stamps 
  

  Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) 
  

  National School Lunch Free Lunch Program (NSL) 
  

  Bureau of Indian Affairs Program (Tribal TANF, Head Start Subsidy, NSL)

Lifeline Assistance will help qualified customers who already have telephone service save a significant amount of money on their monthly phone bills, while Link-Up helps eligible customers receive a generous discount on the installation of telephone service in their homes.

Also, consumers can voluntarily forego presubscribed long distance telephone service by requesting toll-blocking, a service that prevents toll calls (such as long distance) from being made and prevents these consumers from paying hefty service deposits. Customers using this service can still use pre-paid calling cards or dial-around services to place long-distance calls from their homes.

For more information, or to find out if you qualify for the programs, call CCTC at 325-348-3124, state public utility commission, or the Federal Communications Commission at 1-888-CALL-FCC. You may also visit the "Lifeline Across America" Web site www.lifeline.gov.