IMPORTANT NOTICE ABOUT THE CALIFORNIA LIFELINE PROGRAM

FROM ASSURANCE WIRELESS

 

The California LifeLine Program (CA LL) provides discounts on phone services to qualified households. This consumer program of the California Public Utilities Commission (Commission) helps to lower consumers’ phone bills. Consumers must be approved before receiving the CA LL discounts. For more information on program eligibility, go to: https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/consumer-support/financial-assistance-savings-and-discounts/lifeline/california-lifeline-eligibility

The California LifeLine Program (CA LL) provides discounts on phone services to qualified households. This consumer program of the California Public Utilities Commission (Commission) helps to lower consumers’ phone bills. Consumers must be approved before receiving the CA LL discounts. For more information on program eligibility, go to: www.californialifeline.com/en/eligibility_requirements#start_application.

HOW TO APPLY FOR THE CALIFORNIA LIFELINE DISCOUNTS

If you think your household qualifies for the California LifeLine CA LL discounts, contact ASSURANCE WIRELESS at 888-898-4888. We will review the program and eligibility rules with you and request that the California LifeLine Administrator start an application for you. The California LifeLine Administrator (Administrator) will provide the application form with a Personal Identification Number (PIN). You can apply online at www.californialifeline.com using your PIN or complete, sign, and mail the application form and any required proof of eligibility to the Administrator. The application form and any required documents must be completed and returned before the response date indicated on the form. If you do not return the completed application form, or fail to provide the required documentation, you will not receive the California LifeLine discounts and will continue to pay the regular rates for your phone service.

ELIGIBILITY GUIDELINES

Your eligibility for CA LL can be either Program-Based OR Income-Based. Program-Based eligibility means that you or another person in your household is enrolled in a public assistance program such as Medicaid/Medi-Cal, CalFresh, Supplemental Security Income, or other programs. Income-Based eligibility means that your household’s total annual income is at or less than 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.

ONLY ONE CALIFORNIA LIFELINE DISCOUNTED SERVICE PER HOUSEHOLD IS ALLOWED

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 the discount from multiple phone companies, and only one California LifeLine discount per household is allowed, except for TTY users who may be eligible for a second discounted phone line. Households that violate the the CA LL one discount per household rule, or provide false information to obtain the discount, will lose their discounts and may be prosecuted. Potential penalties can include imprisonment, loss of the discount, monetary fines, or a ban from CA LL. The discounts can only be for a subscriber’s primary residence. Discounts are non-transferable from one person to another. CA LL participants may transfer their discounts from one phone company to another, but may not have more than one phone line active with CA LL discounts. If you choose to transfer your CA LL discounts from ASSURANCE WIRELESS to another California LifeLine provider, then ASSURANCE WIRELESS will charge retail rates for you to continue using your phone service.

SERVICE CONNECTION/ACTIVATION CHARGES

The CA LL fund will pay for no more than two activation fees (whether with the Company or any other wireless service provider) per household per year. If the Company confirms during the enrollment process that the customer has already received LifeLine service from two (2) LifeLine providers within the year, then the consumer will be responsible for the $39 activation fee. Otherwise, ASSURANCE will be responsible for the fee.

HOW TO KEEP YOUR CALIFORNIA LIFELINE DISCOUNTS

 You must renew your eligibility annually. The Administrator will mail you a renewal form in a PINK envelope with a Personal Identification Number (PIN). You can renew online at www.californialifeline.com using your PIN, complete, sign, and mail the form to the Administrator, or you can renew by phone by contacting the Administrator. If you do not renew before the response date, you will lose the California LifeLine discounts and will be charged the regular rates. If you have questions about your renewal, contact the Administrator at 877-858-7463 or 888-858-7889 (TTY) from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. If you believe your household no longer qualifies for the discounts or if your household is getting more than one discount by mistake, you must inform ASSURANCE WIRELESS or the Administrator within 30 days. If you do not follow this notification rule, you may be penalized.

DE-ENROLLMENT RULES

Your household may lose the CA LL discount if your household no longer qualifies, is already receiving the discount (except for TTY), fails to use the CA LL discounted phone service for 30 consecutive days, violates the CA LL Program’s rules, or does not renew the discounts on an annual basis.

CALIFORNIA LIFELINE BENEFIT PORTABILITY AND ENROLLMENT FREEZE POLICIES

30 Day Enrollment Request Freeze

When you submit an enrollment request to receive California LifeLine discounts for cell phone service you must wait up to 30 days to submit another enrollment request. You can’t have multiple enrollment requests for California LifeLine discounts for cell phone service at the same time. The 30-day waiting period ends when either 1) the California LifeLine Administrator sends the final eligibility decision, 2) the enrollment request is cancelled, or 3) 30 days have passed since the enrollment request, whichever occurs first. The enrollment request freeze doesn’t apply to applications generated to correct previous applications, and a freeze will not be imposed if the Administrator does not have access to the Applicant’s name, residential service address, date of birth, and last four digits of the social security number of Tribal Identification.

After the 30-day clock stops, you may then submit another enrollment request for the California LifeLine discounts for cell phone service, as applicable. You can independently cancel an enrollment request by contacting the California LifeLine Administrator by phone or going to Check Your Status. The cell phone company can also cancel an enrollment request.

Benefit Portability Freeze

 When you have an approved eligibility status and enroll in California Lifeline for the first time, or transfer between Lifeline providers, you will be subject to a benefit portability freeze for up to 24 hours from the time of enrollment or transfer. You must remain with the same Lifeline provider until the freeze is lifted in order to continue to receive California Lifeline discounts. After the freeze has ended, you many freely choose to switch to another Lifeline provider, or stay with your current provider.

For more information please go to www.californialifeline.com/en/eligibility_requirements.