“Lifeline Awareness Week” is September 8-14, 2014.  The purpose of the Lifeline Awareness Week is to ensure and encourage income-eligible customers to sign up for a discount on telephone service through the Lifeline program. The program provides qualified consumers with discounts for monthly residential phone bills for basic telephone service.

Under the Lifeline program, wireline customers receive a waiver of the federal subscriber line charge and a discount on their basic local service charge, a savings of as much as $250 a year. Wireless customers can receive Lifeline benefits such as free minutes, reduced rates and free phones. The total discount varies depending on the local telephone service provider.

Lifeline is available to customers that either have an income that is at or below the 135% of the federal poverty guidelines or participate in one of the following assistance programs:

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (formerly Food Stamps)
• Medicaid
• Non-service Related Veterans’ Disability or Surviving Spouse Pension
• Family Assistance
• Safety Net Assistance
• Federal Public Housing Assistance
• National School Lunch program

Only low-income consumers with proof of eligibility are qualified to enroll. Only one Lifeline benefit is permitted per household and federal rules prohibit customers from receiving more than one Lifeline service. Existing Lifeline subscribers must recertify their eligibility every year. For more information on the program, visit our Lifeline web site.

Consumers interested in receiving information about the Lifeline program, can do so at the following events:

Albany Public Library
161 Washington Avenue
Albany, NY
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
September 8, 2014

Queens Health and Family Expo
New York Hall of Science
47-01 111^th Street
Corona, NY
11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
September 14, 2014

Lifeline information will also be available at various Commission consumer events across the State throughout the month of September (click on the calendar link above for a listing of the events). In addition, consumer and community leaders across the State have been provided with information to educate their communities about the program and how to participate.