Programs and Savings:

• Lifeline provides qualified users a discount of $9.25 on monthly charges for the primary home phone line, even if it's a cell phone. 

Tribal lands residents may receive an additional $25 under the discount.

• Link-Up offers a 100 percent reduction, up to $100, off installation charges to qualifying residents of Tribal lands. Link-Up will NOT cover the cost of a phone or wiring your home.

• Telephone Assistance Plan (TAP) provides a monthly discount of $2.50 on home phone service (excluding cell phones). 

Qualification:

1) Total household income does not exceed 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines;

OR

2) Participation in one (or more) of these programs:

• Medicaid (Medical Assistance)
  

• Food support (Food Stamps)
  

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
  

• Federal Public Housing Assistance
  

• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
  

• Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
  

• Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP)
  

• National School Lunch Program's free lunch program (NSLP)

• Bureau of Indian Affairs Program (Tribal TANF, Head Start Subsidy, NSLP)

Deposit fees:

• If you have financial or credit problems, you may be required to pay a deposit before setting up service.
  

• Eligible users of the Lifeline and Link-Up programs do not have to pay a deposit if they agree to limit their use of long distance service with "toll limitation" or "toll blocking." Users can still make long-distance calls using pre-paid calling cards.
  

• If the phone company threatens to disconnect service because of late or non-payment of bills, ask the company to restrict phone service to local numbers only.

How to apply:

Not all telephone companies offer Lifeline and Link-Up discounts. Contact your phone company and ask for a Lifeline/Link-Up/TAP application, or download an application. If your local telephone company is not authorized to provide Lifeline, Link-Up or TAP discounts, contact the Department of Commerce at telecom.commerce@state.mn.us or 651-297-3375 to find an authorized provider.

Other Important Information:

• Discounts cannot be applied to past due telephone bills.

• Once you are on Lifeline and TAP you may be asked periodically to verify that you remain eligible. If you do not respond, the phone company is required to stop the discounts.

• It can take up to two months for the discounts to show up on your bill. You must pay the bill until that time.

• Lifeline, Link-Up and TAP discounts are only available for one line per household.

• If you qualify based on participation in a federal aid program, the phone must be in the name of the person who receives those benefits. If you qualify based on the National School Lunch Program, the phone may be in the name of an adult.

Complaints:

To make a complaint against a telephone company about the TAP program, call or e-mail the Department of Commerce at telecom.commerce@state.mn.us or 651-297-3375.

Questions:

For questions about TAP, Lifeline or Link-Up, contact your local telephone company. The Public Utilities Commission web site also has information about telephone service discount programs.

Additional help:
The Minnesota Telephone Equipment Distribution (TED) Program provides free specialized telecommunications equipment to income eligible Minnesotans who have trouble using the telephone due to a hearing loss, speech disability or physical disability. Call 1-800-657-3663 (voice), 1-888-206-6555 (TTY), or visit the TED web site at www.tedprogram.org. for more information.

Phone Discount Verification Frequently Asked Questions for Consumers

What is it?

If you are a consumer that receives the phone discounts (Lifeline and TAP) on your phone bill, you may periodically be contacted by your telephone provider to provide proof that you are still eligible for the discount. The provider will ask you to either provide proof of your participation in a qualifying public assistance program or for proof that your income is below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Why are carriers asking for proof that I am eligible for the phone discounts?

Carriers are required by state and federal law to confirm that a certain percentage of their customers receiving these phone discounts are still eligible for the discount. They are required to obtain proof from those customers that they are eligible. If they do not receive proof within 60 days of sending out the initial request to the customer, they must remove the phone discount from that customer's bill.

What if I do not provide proof of my eligibility within the 60 day deadline?

The discount will be removed from your bill. In addition, if you attempt to re-apply for the program within a year, you will need to submit proof that you are eligible for the discount.

My carrier is requesting very private information, such as tax records, to prove that I am eligible for the phone discount. Is this okay?

Yes because carriers are required to obtain proof that your income is below a certain level or that you are on a qualifying public assistance program, they must obtain proof that many consumers would consider to contain private information. Carriers may only use this proof to ensure that you are still eligible for the phone discount, not for other purposes.

What if I have a complaint or questions about this process?

The Minnesota Department of Commerce is required to investigate any complaint against a carrier regarding the phone discount program, and is also available for questions. You may contact us at 651-297-3375 ortelecom.commerce@state.mn.us.