What benefits will the California LifeLine program provide?

If you qualify for the California LifeLine program, you will receive a phone (either a landline or cell phone—your decision) and a service plan with a set amount of minutes; for cell phones, you will also receive a set amount of text messages you can send each month for free.[1836]

You can pay an additional discounted monthly rate if you would like to get extra minutes, texts, or data added to your plan (NOTE: data can be used to access the Internet and e-mail on your cell phone). The cost depends on the carrier company and the amount of extra services you request. Different phone service companies will offer competing plans, and it is up to you to select the provider that best suits your needs.[1837]

A list of California LifeLine providers can be found online at: https://www.californialifeline.com/en/provider_search, OR you can call the California LifeLine Call Center for general information about the program at the applicable phone number below. The call center is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (Pacific Time), Monday through Friday (closed on federal holidays & weekends).

English*

1-866-272-0349

Spanish

1-866-272-0350

Laotian/Hmong

1-866-272-0351

Cambodian

1-866-272-0352

Tagalog

1-866-272-0353

Korean

1-866-272-0354

Vietnamese

1-866-272-0355

Chinese (Mandarin/Cantonese)

1-866-272-0356

Japanese

1-866-296-0860

TTY

1-866-272-0358

* NOTE: If you want in-language help for a language not listed above, call the English toll-free number and ask for interpretation services.

A California LifeLine phone can help you stay connected to family members, schools, child care providers, talk with potential employers, and have a means of communication in case of an emergency.

  1. 1836

    See California LifeLine, http://cssrc.us/content/briefing-report-california-lifeline-program.

  2. 1837

    See California LifeLine, http://cssrc.us/content/briefing-report-california-lifeline-program.