Are you worried you cannot afford to connect or maintain your phone line? You may qualify for aid on your telephone bill through the Low Income Program of the Universal Service Fund, which can help you pay for your local telephone costs.
If you qualify for the program, which is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), you will be able to get quality telecommunications for fair, affordable rates. The Low Income Program is comprised of the Lifeline, Link Up and Toll Limitation Service (TLS) programs. Rules for program support were established in 1997 by the Federal Communications Commission.
Lifeline support reduces the cost of local telephone service. It can apply to either a wireline or a wireless service (though only one line per family can qualify). Non-tribal customers can get up to $10 off of their bills, while those who live on reservations or tribal lands can get up to $25 off. Lifeline support does not cover any taxes, surcharges or mileage charges that you can incur through your phone service.
Link Up support lowers the price of the one-time costs of connecting your phone service. Also, with Link Up support, customers qualify for a deferment program in which customers can defer up to $200 of the costs of connecting your phone line. You only can qualify for Link Up support one time per residence. Non-tribal customers can qualify for up to 50 percent of their installation charges or up to $30. Tribal customers can qualify for up to 100 percent of their installation charges. TLS allows customers to block all or some toll calls from their number.
All three of these services work together to insure that everyone can get fair prices on their phone service, even if they maintain a low-income household. If you are interested in finding out if you qualify for assistance for your phone service or to find out more details about the programs, go to the Web site for Lifeline Support.
