Requirements for Universal Lifeline Telephone Service/California Lifeline
California Lifeline, formorly known as Universal Lifeline Telephone Service (ULTS), provides discounted basic residential (landline) telephone service to low-income households. You can now apply online at www.CaliforniaLifeline.com. You are strongly encouraged to watch for postcards or other notices reminding you that the ULTS contractor has not received your application. Even if you completed and mailed the form, mistakes can happen. Please make copies of what you have sent and log the dates. If you get a reminder notice after you sent the form in the right envelope and believe it should have been received, you will have no way to prove it if you do not follow up on any reminder notices. It is also recommended that all calls you make are logged and dated in case you are forced to appeal a denial letter.
Available Discounts
| Service |
Description |
Rate |
| Flat-Rate Local Telephone Service | Unlimited local calls and same free access to directory assistance calls as provided to non-ULTS flat-rate residential customers. | Monthly recurring: the lower of $5.47 or 1/2 of utility's residential flat-rate local telephone service. |
| Measured Local Telephone Service | 60 local calls per month and $0.08 per call after 60, and same free access to directory assistance calls as provided to non-ULTS measured-rate residential customers. | Monthly recurring: 1/2 of utility's residential measured local telephone service. |
| Service Connection and Service Conversion | For initiation of telephone service, or change of class/type/grade of service. | Non-recurring: the lower of $10 or 1/2 of utility's connection/ conversion charge for residential telephone service. |
Two Steps to Enroll
1) If you think you meet the above qualifications, contact your telephone company and tell them you want to enroll in California LifeLine. If the telephone company can verbally qualify you, they will enroll you immediately.
2) Within two to three weeks California LifeLine will mail an enrollment form in a PINK envelope to you . In order to maintain your telephone discounts, you must complete the enrollment form, sign it, and return it to the California LifeLine certification agent along with any required income documentation by the due date. If you do not return the completed and signed form to the California LifeLine certification agent by the due date, you will be disqualified and removed from the program. In addition, your telephone company will bill you for any discounts you may have received.
Qualification Types
1. Program-Based:
You can qualify for California LifeLine if you or another person in your household is enrolled in any one of the following public-assistance programs:
| Medicaid/Medi-Cal | Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) |
| Supplemental Security Income (SSI) | Federal Public Housing Assistance or Section 8 |
| Food Stamps | Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) |
| Healthy Families Category A | National School Lunch's FREE Lunch Program (NSL) |
| Tribal TANF | Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance |
| Women, Infant and Children Program (WIC) | Head Start Income Eligible (Tribal Only) |
2. Income-Based
You can qualify for California LifeLine if your total household income is at or less than these income maximums:
|
Household Size |
ULTS Annual Income Limits |
| 1-2 members | $22,900 |
| 3 members | $26,900 |
| 4 members | $32,400 |
| Each additional member | $5,500 |
Required Documents
In order to qualify for California LifeLine based on household income, you will need to provide documents proving that your total household income is at or below the income maximum for your household size. Income documents include:
· Prior year's state, federal, or tribal tax return
· Income statements or paycheck stubs for three consecutive months within the calendar year
· Statement of benefits from Social Security, Veterans Administration, retirement/pension, unemployment compensation, and/or workmen's compensation
· Divorce decree
· Child support document
· Other official documents
Yearly Re-Certification Process
The California LifeLine program requires all existing California LifeLine customers to verify their eligibility on an annual basis. Each year, on your LifeLine anniversary date, the California LifeLine program will mail to you, in a PINK envelope, a LifeLine verification form. In order to continue receiving your LifeLine discount, you must complete and sign the form and return it to California LifeLine by the due date.
Funding Source & Administration:
California LifeLine is funded by an all-end-user surcharge billed and collected by telecommunications carriers which, in turn, remit the surcharge monies to a financial institution as directed by the Commission or its representatives. Procedures for the administration of ULTS are outlined in General Order (GO 153) at http://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/published/GENERAL_ORDER/40482.htm
- Public Purpose Telecommunications Programs: http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/Telco/Public+Programs/
Other links:
- Solix Website Demonstration Slides - April 16, 2008
- ULTS program related forms and notices for current and potential carriers
Forms, Apply Online, and Frequently Asked Questions
Samples of qualification forms, instructions for qualification forms, frequently asked questions, and online applications are available at: www.CaliforniaLifeline.com.
ULTS program related forms and notices for current and potential carriers
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What safeguards are there to
What safeguards are there to prevent identity fraud using the information we are now required to submit? I'm especially concerned about the social security account number. Thanks.
Is there an answering
Is there an answering service available for further clarifications? This post is very informative but there are still people who don't have a proper internet connection, specially this target market with low income families, they could use a telephone line available for their questions.
Universal lifeline documentation
I haven't received the pink envelope from the unversal lifeline. Can I order a copy of the form by calling them?
Another question:
I lost my job for almost 2 years, and since then I have not made any income for the year I lost my job, so I didn't fill out any income tax for this year. Now, I do not have current documentation to give for the universal lifeline for this year. What should I do? I cannot afford to lose my universal life line this year. I have been surviving from my savings and my brother is paying for the utilities including my phone while I am trying to find a job. Is there anything I can do to continue with universal lifeline? I just cannot afford to pay more on my telephone service, especially now that I am struggling to find a job while my money is diminishing fast.
Please respond to my ASAP.
Thank you.
customer fraud
what do you do if a neighbor who lives down the street proudly admits she is on life line and has been for years - and you know she is not eligible and not even close to being eligible for this program. She signed up using her maiden name, has her 2 small children and 1 adult daughter living with her AND her husband of around 10 years. This woman chooses or does not have to not work because her husband is an executive at a large company, possibly vice president. he probably pulls down 200-250k/year at least. She also employs 2 - 6 "laborers" to help her around house every day. is there a fraud hotline to report end users who are abusing the system?
jealous?
jealous?
How to Cancel?
How does one cancel their enrollment in this program if they no longer qualify? Do they call their telephone company or Lifeline? Thank You.
Cancel Lifeline
You should contact your phone company directly.
Renewal of California certificate
Hello,
My name is Tuan Nguyen, home phone : 714-537-5835
Address : P.O. Box 402 Garden Grove, CA 92842-0402
I am using my home telephone services with California Lifeline program. As requested by Lifeline Program, I have sent a confirmation of my current income situation for continuing the program for year 2008. However, I received a message from AT&T informing that my qualification is still unapproved due to lack of my updated income confirmation.
Please kindly double-check my filing document for the issue, or tell me a necessary alternative to do before the deadline.
Thanks,
Tuan Nguyen
AT&T LifeLine Problem
Has your problem been remedied yet? If so, what happened and if not, I need your bills, letters and any literature you have received pertaining to the LifeLine program. Please copy and mail to 3100 5th Ave., Ste B San Diego, CA 92103--ATTN: Sue
removed from the program because of a "non-deliverable address"
I sent my recertification form with my information and signature on it before the due date and so far,nothing has changed regarding my income. When I got my bill from ATT,I was surprised to find out that I was charged an extra $35 or $45 because I was removed from the California Lifeline program. I called the customer service and they told me that the form they sent was mailed back to them because of "undeliverable address". I just dont understand why because though we moved to a different city, we still get our mail from our old address and we have never encountered a program like this with our other bills or mail. The representative said that its a problem with our post office and they cant do anything about it. I just think that its not fair to just remove me from the program without notifying me or giving me a warning about the possibility of losing my certification.Now they're telling me that they cant do anything about it,I just have to pay the entire amount..I have no intention of not paying the bill but I just want to know if I can be given a consideration since the mistake didnt come from me,I did what i had to do which is to send the recertification back before the due date.The extra amount i had to pay really counts so much for us because of our tight budget these days,otherwise I wouldnt be enrolled in a low-income program such as this.thank you so much.
Universal Lifeline Telephone Service (ULTS)
I have been trying to regain the California Lifeline / Universal Lifeline Telephone Service (ULTS) that I have been applicable once before, and that I am applicable for currently, to my phoneline, but since I've signed up with AT&T I have not been able to re-enact the service. Telephone, email, event a visit to the AT&T office, yet nothing has worked, neither while my telephone line was active nor now, after the line has been disconnected due to non-payment. This notice that I'm looking at currently, "Do not sign a contract until the company has completed this form," I believe is the only error I could have committed. Too bad I've discovered this after the fact. SBC Global was thhe phone company that I had gone through previously, abd this time I went with AT&T because I allowed a friend, Lynette Nicco, to sign me up. I am searching for a job currently, so I desperately need a telephone line. I would appreciate it if I could get some assistance in acquiring Universal Lifeline Telephone Service (ULTS) once again. Thank you.
Brian Fergel
3800 Crowell rd apt 141
Turlock, CA 95382
AT&T disconnected phone number: 209 632 6337
Current message phone: 209 863 8096
bfergel [at] yahoo [dot] com
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