The Obama Phone: "Lifeline Program"

 The Obama Phone is from the "Lifeline Program"

"Obama Phone" is the popular, unofficial term that refers to free communications phones provided by the "Lifeline Program" to eligible Americans.

The "Obama Phone" is available through a government program for low-income consumers called "The Lifeline Program." Here are some details published on the FCC's "lifeline" webpage in January 2012:

"Lifeline is a government benefit program supported by the Universal Service Fund that provides a discount on phone service for qualifying low-income consumers. Lifeline helps ensure that eligible consumers have the opportunities and security that phone service brings, including being able to connect to jobs, family, and emergency services.
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The Lifeline program is available to eligible low-income consumers in every state, territory, commonwealth, and on Tribal lands. Consumers with proper proof of eligibility may be qualified to enroll.  To participate in the program, consumers must have an income that is at or below 135% of the federal Poverty Guidelines or participate in a qualifying state, federal or Tribal assistance program. To participate in the program, consumers must either have an income that is at or below 135% of the federal Poverty Guidelines or participate in one of the following assistance programs:
  • Medicaid;
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps or SNAP);
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI);
  • Federal Public House Assistance (Section 8);
  • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP);
  • Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF);
  • National School Lunch Program's Free Lunch Program;
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance;
  • Tribally-Administrered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TTANF);
  • Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR);
  • Head Start (if income eligibility criteria are met); or
  • State assistance programs (if applicable).
Federal rules prohibit eligible low-income consumers from receiving more than one Lifeline discount per household.  An eligible consumer may receive a discount on either a wireline or wireless service, but not both.  A consumer whose household currently is receiving more than one Lifeline service must select a single Lifeline provider and contact the other provider to de-enroll from their program. Consumers violating this rule may also be subject to criminal and/or civil penalties. The Lifeline program is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC).  USAC is responsible for data collection and maintenance, support calculation, and disbursement for the low-income program.  USAC’s website provides information regarding administrative aspects of the low-income program, as well as program requirements. On January 31, 2012, the Commission adopted comprehensive reform and modernization of the Lifeline program.   As a universal service program that fulfills Congress’s mandate to ensure the availability of communications to all Americans, Lifeline for the past 25 years has helped tens of millions of low-income Americans afford basic phone service.  Access to telephone service is essential for finding a job, connecting with family, or getting help in an emergency, and the percentage of low-income households with phone service has increased from 80% in 1985, when Lifeline began, to nearly 92% last year. "

This information is provided by the FCC (US Federal government's) website www.fcc.gov/lifeline

obama gave us a phone lady - viral video

OBAMA PHONE: FCC Reforms, Modernizes Lifeline Program for Low-Income Americans

OBAMA PHONE: FCC Reforms, Modernizes Lifeline Program for Low-Income Americans

"Obama Phone" is the popular, unofficial term that refers to free communications phones provided by the "Lifeline Program" to eligible Americans.

Related to the Obama Phone and the Lifeline Program, the press release below from the FCC website describes recent news about providing phone and broadband access to low-income Americans:
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 Click here to find out how to get a free Obama Phone

NEWS (*see source)
Federal Communications Commission, News Media Information 202 / 418-0500
445 12th Street, S.W.; Internet: http://www.fcc.gov; Washington, D. C. 20554; TTY: 1-888-835-5322; This is an unofficial announcement of Commission action. Release of the full text of a Commission order constitutes official action. See MCI v. FCC. 515 F 2d 385 (D.C. Circ 1974). FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE- NEWS MEDIA CONTACT: January 31, 2012
Mark Wigfield, 202-418-0253 Email: mark.wigfield@fcc.gov

FCC REFORMS, MODERNIZES LIFELINE TO KEEP LOW-INCOME AMERICANS


CONNECTED TO JOBS, FAMILY, 911 SERVICES

Changes to Eliminate Waste, Fraud and Abuse and Improve Effectiveness

Washington, D.C. – Acting to reform and modernize a program vital to ensuring affordable
communications for low-income consumers, the Federal Communications Commission today approved a comprehensive overhaul of its Lifeline program. As a universal service program that fulfills Congress’s mandate to ensure the availability of communications to all Americans, Lifeline for the past 25 years has helped tens of millions of low-income Americans afford basic phone service. Access to telephone service is essential for finding a job,connecting with family, or getting help in an emergency, and the percentage of low-income households with phone service has increased from 80% in 1985, when Lifeline began, to nearly 92% last year. But the program faces real challenges, including rules that have failed to keep pace as consumers increasingly choose wireless phone service, and that create perverse incentives for some carriers. The FCC’s Lifeline reforms address these and other challenges, including through:


Changes to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse, saving up to $2 billion over 3 years
·
Setting a savings target of $200 million for 2012, and putting the Commission in a position to adopt an appropriate budget for the program in early 2013 after review of a six-month report and one-year report on the effects of the Order.

· Creation of a National Lifeline Accountability Database to prevent multiple carriers from receiving support for the same subscriber. The database will build on FCC efforts in 2011 that eliminated nearly 270,000 duplicate subscriptions in 12 states following review of over 3.6 million subscriber records, saving $33 million.

· Creation of eligibility databases from governmental data sources, enabling fully automated verification of consumers’ initial and ongoing Lifeline eligibility. This would reduce the potential for fraud while cutting red tape for consumers and providers. A database based on the three most common federal benefit programs through which consumers qualify for Lifeline will be created no later than the end of 2013.

· Establishing a one-per-household rule applicable to all providers in the program, defining household as an “economic unit” so that separate low-income families living at the same address can get connected.

· Establishing clear goals and metrics to measure program performance and effectiveness.
 ·
Phasing out support for services such as Toll Limitation – subsidies to carriers for blocking or restricting long-distance service—and ending Link Up – subsidies to carriers for initial connection charges. Link Up will continue in Tribal lands.
·
Reducing burdens on carriers by establishing a uniform, interim flat rate of reimbursement, allowing carriers to obtain a subscriber’s signature electronically, and streamlining enrollment through uniform, nationwide eligibility criteria.

Modernizing Lifeline
·
Adopting an express goal for the program of ensuring availability of broadband for all low-
income Americans.
·
Establish a Broadband Adoption Pilot Program using up to $25 million in savings from other reforms to test and determine how Lifeline can best be used to increase broadband adoption among Lifeline-eligible consumers. Starting this year, the program will solicit applicationsfrom broadband providers and will select a number of projects to fund. Lifeline will helpreduce the monthly cost of broadband service, but applicants will be expected to help address other challenges to broadband adoption, including the cost of devices and digital literacy.
·
Proposes increasing digital literacy training at libraries and schools. A Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeks comment on using savings from other Universal Service Fund reforms to increase digital literacy training at libraries and schools, a key step in increasing broadband adoption.
·
Build on FCC efforts to close the broadband adoption gap and address digital literacy, including the Connect-to-Compete initiative, which enlists government, non-profit, and private sector leaders to address broadband adoption barriers through digital literacy training and low-cost broadband availability.
·
Allow Lifeline support for bundled services plans combining voice and broadband or packages including optional calling features.

Lifeline reforms continue the FCC’s comprehensive overhaul of all universal service programs, consistent with recommendations in the National Broadband Plan.
Action by the Commission, January 31, 2012, by Report and Order and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 12-11). Chairman Genachowski approved; Commissioner McDowell approved, concurrred, and dissented in part; and Commissioner Clyburn approved and concurred in part. Separate statements issued by Chairman Genachowski, Commissioners McDowell and Clyburn. Wireline Competition Bureau Staff Contact: Kimberly Scardino at 202-418-1442 -FCC-

*Source: News about the Federal Communications Commission can also be found
on the Commission’s web site www.fcc.gov

Obama Phone Info: Lifeline - Affordable Telephone Service for Income-Eligible Consumers


OBAMA PHONE INFO:

Lifeline - Affordable Telephone Service for Income-Eligible Consumers


The Obama Phone is the popular term (not the real program name) for a service available from the "Lifeline Program."

(The following Press Release was published on the FCC website on May 16 2011)

Background

Lifeline is a government benefit program that provides discounts on monthly telephone service for eligible low-income consumers to help ensure they have the opportunities and security that telephone service affords, including being able to connect to jobs, family, and 911 services. Lifeline is supported by the federal Universal Service Fund (USF).

What Benefits are Available Under the Lifeline Program?

Lifeline provides discounts on monthly telephone service (wireline or wireless) for eligible consumers. These discounts average $9.25 per month, and may be more depending on the state. Federal rules prohibit eligible low-income consumers from receiving more than ONE Lifeline service per household. That is, eligible low-income consumers may receive a Lifeline discount on either a wireline or a wireless service, but may not receive a Lifeline discount on both services at the same time. Additionally, only ONE Lifeline service may be obtained per household. "Household" is defined as any individual or group of individuals who live together at the same address as one economic unit. An "economic unit" is defined as "all adult individuals contributing to and sharing in the income and expenses of a household." Lifeline support is available to eligible low-income consumers living in group living facilities. Lifeline applicants may demonstrate when initially enrolling in the program that any other Lifeline recipients residing at their residential address are part of a separate household.
In some cases, Lifeline also includes Toll Limitation Service, which enables a telephone subscriber to limit the amount of long distance calls that can be made from a telephone.
Link Up provides eligible low-income consumers living on Tribal lands with a one-time discount of up to $100 on the initial installation or activation of a wireline or wireless telephone for the primary residence. Tribal Lands Link Up also allows consumers to pay the remaining amount that they owe on a deferred schedule, interest-free. Federal rules prohibit eligible low-income consumers from receiving more than ONE Link Up discount at a primary residence. Eligible consumers may be eligible for Link Up again only after moving to a new primary residence. Link Up support is only offered to carriers who are building out infrastructure on Tribal lands so not all carriers may discount their activation fee.
Enhanced benefits are provided to low-income consumers who live on a federally recognized Indian Tribe's reservation, pueblo, or colony; on a former reservation in Oklahoma; within an Indian allotment; within an Alaska Native region established by the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act; or Hawaiian Homelands held in trust pursuant to the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act of 1920. See our consumer guide on Promoting Telephone Subscribership on Tribal Lands for more information.

How Do I Qualify for Lifeline Discounts?

The Lifeline program is available to eligible low-income consumers in every state, territory, commonwealth, and on Tribal lands. You must be eligible to enroll. To participate in the program, consumers must either have an income that is at or below 135% of the federal Poverty Guidelines or participate in one of the following assistance programs:
  • Medicaid;
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps or SNAP);
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI);
  • Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8);
  • Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP);
  • Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF);
  • National School Lunch Program's Free Lunch Program;
  • Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance;
  • Tribally-Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TTANF);
  • Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR);
  • Head Start (if income eligibility criteria are met); or
  • State assistance programs (if applicable).

Who Pays for the Lifeline Program?

All telecommunications service providers and certain other providers of telecommunications must contribute to the federal USF based on a percentage of their end-user telecommunications revenues. These companies include wireline telephone companies, wireless telephone companies, and certain Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers.
Some consumers may notice a “Universal Service” line item on their telephone bills. This line item appears when a company chooses to recover its USF contributions directly from its customers by billing them this charge. The FCC does not require this charge to be passed on to customers. Each company makes a business decision about whether and how to assess charges to recover its Universal Service costs.

Can I get more than one discounted service?

No. Federal rules prohibit eligible low-income consumers from receiving more than ONE Lifeline discount per household. An eligible consumer may receive a discount on either a wireline or wireless service, but not both. If you, or any person in your household, are currently receiving more than one monthly Lifeline service, you must select one provider to provide your Lifeline service and you must contact the other provider to de-enroll from their program. Subscribers found to be violating this rule may also be subject to criminal and/or civil penalties. Key provisions of the Lifeline rules include the following:
  • Lifeline is a government benefit program;
  • Only eligible consumers may enroll in the program;
  • The program is limited to one benefit per household;
  • Lifeline service is a non-transferable benefit. Consumers may not transfer their service (or give their Lifeline-supported phone) to any other individual, including another eligible consumer;
  • In most cases, consumers will be required to provide documentation to prove the subscriber, one or more of the subscriber's dependents or the subscriber's household is eligible to receive Lifeline.
Consumers will be required to make certain certifications upon signing up for Lifeline and each year after that, including that:
  • The subscriber or a member of the subscriber's household participates in a qualifying federal program or meets the income qualifications for Lifeline;
  • The subscriber provided proof of eligibility, if required to do so;
  • The consumer's household receives only single Lifeline service;
  • If applying for Lifeline based on income, the number of individuals in the consumer's household;
  • The information contained in the Lifeline application is true and correct to the best of the consumer's knowledge and that providing false or fraudulent information to receive Lifeline benefits is punishable by law;
  • If applying for Tribal Lands Lifeline support, that the consumer resides on Federally-recognized Tribal lands;
  • The consumer must acknowledge that he or she may be required to re-certify continued eligibility for Lifeline and, if the consumer fails to do so, could lose the Lifeline service.
The subscriber will also be required to provide certain information to the phone company or a state agency (depending how consumers in their state sign up for Lifeline), including:
  • Name and address information – Consumers who do not have a permanent residential address must provide a temporary address, which cannot be a P.O. Box. If a consumer resides at a temporary address, the telephone service provider or state agency may require confirmation of the address;
  • Date of birth and the last 4 digits of the consumer's Social Security Number;
  • Consumers participating in the Lifeline program must notify the telephone service provider within 30 days if the consumer moves;
  • Consumers participating in the Lifeline program must notify the telephone service provider within 30 days if the consumer is no longer eligible for Lifeline.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Lifeline Program

Am I eligible? To see if you are eligible, use the Lifeline Eligibility Pre-Screening Tool on the Universal Service Administrative (USAC) website at www.lifelinesupport.org.
How do I enroll? Apply for Lifeline through your local telephone company or designated state agency. To locate a Lifeline provider in your state go to www.lifelinesupport.org.
What documentation do I need to provide at enrollment? Program Eligibility Verification - Acceptable documentation includes: Current or prior year's statement of benefits from a qualifying program; notice letter of participation in qualifying program; program participation documents (or copy); or another official document of a qualifying program. Income Eligibility Verification - Acceptable documentation includes: The prior year's state, federal or Tribal tax return; current income statement from an employer or paycheck stub; Social Security statement of benefits; Veterans Administration statement of benefits; Retirement or pension statement of benefits; Unemployment or Workers' Compensation statement of benefits; Federal or Tribal notice letter of participation in General Assistance; or divorce decree, child support award, or other official document containing income information. The consumer must present the same type of documentation covering 3 consecutive months within the previous 12 months, if the documentation does not cover a full year of income.
Does the phone service have to be in the name of the person receiving the program benefit? The phone service does not need to be in the name of the person receiving the benefit; however, the person who qualifies for Lifeline must be a member of the same household as the subscriber.
How is Household defined for purposes of the Lifeline Program? A household is defined as any individual or group of individuals who live together at the same address and share income and expenses.
What do I do if I am receiving more than one Lifeline service? Households with duplicate Lifeline services must select a single provider and de-enroll from other Lifeline programs. Consumers violating the one per household rule may be subject to criminal and/or civil penalties.
Do I need to verify my eligibility? Yes, every year. Once you are enrolled in Lifeline, you must verify your continued eligibility on an annual basis. If you become ineligible for the benefit, either because your income has increased, you no longer qualify for a federal benefit program, or someone else in your household gets a Lifeline service, you must contact your provider immediately to de-enroll from the program, otherwise you may be subject to penalties.
What if I have free Lifeline? If you receive Lifeline for free, you must use your service every 60 days in order to maintain the benefit.

For More Information

To find more information about eligibility and how to apply for Lifeline and Link Up benefits, visit the Universal Service Administrative Company's website, call USAC's toll-free number (1-888-641-8722), call the FCC's toll-free customer service number (1-888-CALL-FCC), or contact your local telephone company.
For information about other telecommunications issues, visit the FCC's Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau website, or contact the FCC's Consumer Center by calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232; or writing to:
Federal Communications Commission
Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, D.C. 20554.


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Obama Phone iPhone Cover with MLK

Qualifications:

If you, or members in your household are, receiving the following benefits you automatically qualify for the Lifeline program. Those interested in the program must have an income of less than 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. (For example in the 48 Contiguous States and D.C the income level is $22,350 per year for a family of four.)
  • Food Stamps or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  • Medicaid
  • Supplemental Security Income – commonly known as SSI
  • Health Benefit Coverage under Child Health Insurance Plan (CHIP)
  • The National School Lunch Program’s Free Lunch Program.
  • Low-Income Energy Assistance Program – LIHEAP
  • Federal Public Housing Assistance ( Section 8 )
  • If you are a low-income Eligible Resident of Tribal Lands
  • Temporary Assistance to Needy Families – TANF
Qualifications can vary by state. The best way to know if you qualify is by filling out an application for a Lifeline provider in your state.   "Obama Phone" is the popular, unofficial term for phones available to people who qualify for the Lifeline Program.