Lifeline Telephone Service
Who is Eligible?
These services are restricted to low income residential customers. To qualify for Lifeline service, a customer must be certified as income eligible* or a recipient of benefits from any one of the following Entitlement Programs administered by the New York State Department of Social Services:
- Medicaid
- Food Stamps
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8)
- National School Lunch Program’s free lunch program
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families/SafetyNet
- Veterans Disability Pension
- Veterans Surviving Spouse Pension
*as defined in § 54.400(f) of the FCC Rules; at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines
How do Customers sign up for Lifeline?
Applicants must provide proof to the Fishers Island Telephone Corporation that they are certified as eligible to receive, currently receiving, or have received during the past year, one or more of the above benefits. Lifeline rate treatment will not begin until proof of eligibility is provided to the Telephone Corp.
The Lifeline discount is effective upon receipt of a completed form of eligibility. If the form is not returned, no further action is taken by the Telephone Corp. to establish eligibility.
What are the discounts?
This service provides a 100% reduction of the Federal Subscriber Line Charge and a $2.75 reduction in the monthly rate for local exchange telephone service for residential customers. Qualified customers may choose any type or grade of local telephone service, which is normally offered by the Telephone Corp. The federal reduction is calculated from the Federal Subscriber Line Charge and is revised each time the Federal Subscriber Line Charge is revised by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
For further information and applications, please contact the Fishers Island Telephone Corporation at (631) 788-7001.
