California LifeLine Telephone Program

Qualification Process

California LifeLine is a discounted telephone service program for low-income customers provided by the local telephone companies and sponsored by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). If you qualify for the California LifeLine program, you are entitled to:

• Monthly discounts on your Flat-Rate or Measured-Rate Local Telephone Service
• $10 service activation fee, or a $10 conversion fee if requesting to change to LifeLine program after initial service activation
• Deposit waived for LifeLine service line
• Monthly EUCL and state surcharge fees are waived for the LifeLine line rate
• Free toll-blocking or toll-restriction
• Pre-qualification process

To begin receiving LifeLine program discounts, you will need to submit an enrollment form and be approved by the California LifeLine Administrator. If you believe you are eligible for the LifeLine program, contact Cox to apply. We will request that an enrollment form be sent to you. It will arrive in a PINK envelope for you to complete. This enrollment form must be completed either on-line or returned to the California LifeLine Administrator along with any required income documentation, by the due date listed on the enrollment form. Cox is unable to provide approval for LifeLine enrollment; eligibility is determined by the California LifeLine Administrator.

When you are approved for California LifeLine by the California LifeLine Administrator, your account will be updated and credits will be applied to your account for the difference in rates between the standard monthly line rate and the LifeLine program discounted line rate. You will also receive a credit for the difference between standard and LifeLine activation charges and for any deposits, when applicable.

Is California LifeLine right for you?

You can qualify for California LifeLine if the telephone service is requested for your principal place of residence and you meet one of the following requirements:

1. You or another person in your household is enrolled in any one of the following public-assistance programs (Program-based eligibility): 
   • Medicaid/Medi-Cal
   • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
   • Supplemental Social Security (SSI)
   • Federal Public Housing Assistance or Section 8
   • Food Stamps or SNAP
   • Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), CalWORKs, StanWORKs, WTW, or GAIN
   • Healthy Families Category A
   • National School Lunch’s FREE Lunch Program (NSL)
   • Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC)
   • Tribal TANF
   • Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
   • Head Start Eligible (Tribal Only)
2. Your total household income is at or below the following income maximums (Income-based eligibility):

 Disabled persons may be eligible for two discounted California LifeLine telephone lines if:

1. The household meets all California LifeLine eligibility criteria listed above
2. The disabled household member has a TTY device within the household
3. The TTY device is issued by DDTP or a medical certificate indicating the household member’s need for the TTY device is submitted to the Certifying Agent.

Additional Information regarding the California Lifeline Telephone program and services can be located online at www.CaliforniaLifeLine.com or at www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/telco.

*Total Household Income includes all revenues, from all household members, from whatever source derived, whether taxable or non-taxable, including, but not limited to wages, salaries, interest, dividends, spousal support and child support, grants, gifts, allowances, stipends, public assistance payments, social security and pensions, rental income, income from self-employment and cash payments from other sources, and all employment-related, non-cash income.