Lifeline Assistance

Effective December 2, 2016, qualified Lifeline customers will be able to apply the monthly federal Lifeline discount to either eligible voice service or broadband internet service. Public Service Telephone Company provides a Lifeline discount of $5.25 per month for each qualifying household under the Lifeline program.
In order to qualify for Lifeline discounts for broadband internet services, the service you order from Public Service Telephone Company must meet certain minimum service standards: upload/download speeds of 10/1 Mbps and 150 GB of data per month.
A customer’s household is eligible for the Lifeline discount if the customer’s annual household income is at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines. You may also qualify for the Lifeline program if a customer, a dependent, or the customer’s household participates in one or more of the following programs:
 Medicaid

  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly Food Stamps
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
  • Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
  • Veterans or Survivors Pension Benefit.

Please note that new Federal Lifeline rules have removed receipt of benefits from the following previously eligible programs from qualification under the Lifeline program:

  • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
  • National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
  • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
  • Senior citizen low-income discount plan offered by the local gas or power company

However, customers enrolled under any of the above-retired eligibility programs remain eligible for the credit until their next Lifeline recertification or verification.
Eligible households may apply the monthly Lifeline discount to either broadband internet service (home or wireless) or phone service (home or wireless) but not both. Lifeline customers also have the option to apply the discount to a service bundle, such as home phone and home internet. Lifeline customers may not transfer their Lifeline discount to another person even if the other person is eligible. For more information about eligibility, contact us at (478) 847-4111.