What is the LifeLine Phone program?

The LifeLine phone program is a government-funded program that provides free monthly telephone service (cell or landline) to eligible California residents – those for whom California is their permanent home.[1833]

Both the state government and federal government offer LifeLine programs, and if you qualify, you have your choice of participating in either.[1834] In this guide, we discuss only the California LifeLine program, since this guide is a California legal guide.

The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) sponsors the California LifeLine program by proving affordable local home telephone service to qualifying low-income persons.[1835]

  1. 1833

    Cal. Public Utilities Code § 871.7. ↑

  2. 1834

    See California LifeLine, https://www.californialifeline.com/en/eligibility_requirements. ↑

  3. 1835

    See Cal. Public Utilities Code §§ 871-884.5. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sponsors the Federal Lifeline program, which is an alternative program offering slightly fewer but similar benefits on a national scale. ↑