There are two main Universal LifeLine Telephone Service discounts in California: wireless (cell phone) and wireline (home phone). All qualified California Households may take advantage of these telephone discount programs to help lower the cost of their phone bills. The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) administers both California Lifeline Programs and even extends the Program to be more inclusive to California enrollees by including additional Qualifying Programs for their most disadvantaged residents.

Only one discount per Household for each residential address is allowed (except for teletypewriter users and for Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program participants). Exceptions can be granted through the “Household Worksheet,” if you live with another adult who receives Lifeline but you do not share income or expenses. Each Household must choose to get the discount either on a home phone or on a cell phone, but not on both. Households cannot get discounts from multiple phone companies. Households that do not follow the one discount per household rule will lose their discounts.

A Household includes adults and children who are living together at the same address as one economic unit. An economic unit consists of all adults (persons at least 18 years old unless emancipated) contributing to and sharing the household’s income and expenses.