South Carolina Lifeline
If you are a low-income consumer and need help paying for phone, broadband or wireless service, you may be eligible to participate in the Lifeline program.
Lifeline is a non-transferable, federal benefit that makes monthly phone, broadband or wireless service more affordable. The program is limited to one discount per household. Eligible households may apply the monthly Lifeline discount to either landline phone, landline broadband or wireless phone service. Lifeline customers also have the option to apply the discount to a service bundle, such as home phone and home internet. The Lifeline phone service also includes toll blocking to qualifying customers without charge. For each month that the customer qualifies, the discount provided under the company’s Lifeline service for landline phone service is $10.00 per month, the discount for landline broadband service is $9.25 per month and the discount for wireless phone is $5.25 per month.
There are 3 ways you can qualify for Lifeline:
- If your household income is at or below 135% of the Federal poverty guidelines.
- If you, or a dependent, receive any of the following benefits:
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Supplemental Security Income
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8)
- Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit
- If you are a domestic violence survivor experiencing financial hardship.
Lifeline assistance is limited to one per household and available on one service only per household, whether landline phone, landline broadband or wireless phone.
Lifeline Q & A:
How much can I save?
You will save up to $10.00 on your basic monthly bill for landline phone service, $9.25 on your monthly bill for landline broadband service or $5.25 on wireless phone service.
How do I know if I am eligible?
You may be eligible for the Lifeline Program if your household income is at or below 135% of the Federal poverty guidelines or you participate in other government assistance programs such as: Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Supplemental Security Income, Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8) or Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit.
Are there any restrictions?
Government rules specifically state that each subscriber can have no more than one Lifeline discounted service, whether landline phone, landline broadband or wireless phone. Lifeline is limited to one per household and non-transferable between individuals.
How do I apply?
FTC customers can qualify for Lifeline in two ways, online or by mail.
- You can apply for Lifeline online through the National Verifier consumer portal.
- If you do not want to apply for Lifeline online, you can submit a paper application to the Lifeline Support Center.
After you receive your Qualification Letter for Lifeline, you have 90 days to bring your letter into one of our FTC stores to enroll in the Lifeline program. After 90 days, you must requalify for Lifeline.
Where can I get additional information?
For additional information on Lifeline services, please visit lifelinesupport.org.
Relay South Carolina
Relay South Carolina (RSC) is a free service for all South Carolina residents, connecting individuals who are deaf, deafblind, hard-of-hearing, or have a speech disability with users of standard telephones. Whether calling on a standard telephone or a text telephone (TTY, a special phone with a typewriter-style keyboard), relay makes communication simple, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
