Phone, internet discounts help those with low incomes

#Middlebury #Seniors

Have you heard of Lifeline? Started many years ago to help low-income individuals with their phone costs, it’s been expanded to include internet at home, offering a $9.25 monthly discount.

That $9.25 savings doesn’t sound like much, but if you’re like me, nowadays you’re converting every dollar saved into food. That $9.25, for example, could turn into a loaf of bread and a gallon of milk, or even a pound of ground beef, a package of hamburgers buns and most of a can of beans.

You’ll need to qualify for Lifeline. One way you do that is if you (or anyone in your household) receive benefits from Supplemental Security Income, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, veterans pensions, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Medicaid and others, or through having verifiable low income. (You’ll need paperwork to prove it.)

You can sign up in a number of ways, such as by mail or online at nv.fcc.gov/lifeline. Scroll through the information on that page. Call 800-234-9473 for more information or to ask that an application be sent to you by mail.

But there’s more. In addition, if you qualify for Lifeline, you likely also qualify for an even bigger assistance: the Affordable Connectivity Program. ACP is new and can give you a $30 monthly discount on your internet. Once you’re in the Lifeline program, call your internet provider and enroll in ACP with them. There’s no need to fill out another application.

There are hundreds of internet providers that are part of the program, including some big names like Xfinity, AT&T and Spectrum. In some cases, that $30 gets you internet without you having to pay anything additional. In other words, free internet. Get the details from your internet provider.

For a list of providers by state, go to www.fcc.gov/affordable-connectivity-program-providers. Get more information on the Affordable Connectivity Program at www.fcc.gov/acp or call 877-384-2575.

© 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.