You qualify for Lifeline, the program behind the free government phone, in one of two ways. Someone in your household gets a qualifying government benefit. Or your household’s total income before taxes is at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines. You only need to meet one of them.
Those are the Lifeline eligibility requirements set by the FCC. They are the same with every phone company and in every state that uses the federal system. This page has the 2026 income limits for every household size and the full list of qualifying programs. It also has worked examples and the household rule that trips up more people than income does. When you are ready to apply, follow our step-by-step guide on how to apply for Lifeline.
Do I qualify for a free phone? A quick check
Answer these in order. The first “yes” is usually enough.
| Question | If yes | If no |
|---|---|---|
| Does anyone in your household get SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, or a VA Veterans or Survivors Pension? | You likely qualify through that program. No income check. | Go to the next question. |
| Do you live on Tribal lands and get BIA General Assistance, Tribal TANF, FDPIR or income-qualified Tribal Head Start? | You likely qualify, and you may get the larger Tribal discount. | Go to the next question. |
| Is your household’s yearly income before taxes at or below the amount in the income table below? | You likely qualify on income. | You probably do not qualify for federal Lifeline right now. |
| Does someone else at your address already get Lifeline? | You can still qualify if you do not share income and expenses with them. | No extra step. |
The only official answer comes from the National Verifier when you apply. Applying is how you check if you can get Lifeline, and it is free.
Qualifying through a benefit you already get
Maybe you, your child, or another dependent in your household is in one of these programs. If so, you qualify for Lifeline without an income check:
| Program | Who runs it | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| SNAP (food stamps) | Your state SNAP agency | The most common way people qualify. See what SNAP is if you are not sure you have it, or check the SNAP income limits. |
| Medicaid | Your state Medicaid agency | Includes Medicaid under state program names such as Medi-Cal or MassHealth. Medicare alone does not count. |
| Supplemental Security Income (SSI) | Social Security Administration | SSI only. Regular Social Security retirement or disability (SSDI) does not qualify you by itself, but it counts toward the income test. |
| Federal Public Housing Assistance | HUD and local housing authorities | Includes public housing, Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8) and project-based rental assistance. |
| Veterans Pension or Survivors Pension | Department of Veterans Affairs | The needs-based pension, not VA disability compensation. |
People living on Tribal lands can also qualify through four more programs. They are Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribally administered TANF, Tribal Head Start (only households that meet its income standard), and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.
Qualifying through a child or dependent
The benefit does not have to be in your name. If your child gets Medicaid, or another dependent in your household is on SNAP, that person is your “benefit qualifying person.” You apply in your own name. Then you list their details in a separate section of the form. That means their name, date of birth, and the last four digits of their Social Security number or their Tribal ID.
Common benefits that do not qualify you on their own
These do not count unless your income is also under the limit:
- Medicare.
- Social Security retirement or SSDI.
- VA disability compensation.
- Unemployment benefits.
- Regular TANF outside Tribal lands, WIC, and free school lunch. (WIC and school lunch do count for the separate survivor benefit described below.)
Lifeline income limits for 2026
If you do not get one of those benefits, you can qualify on income. The limit is 135% of the 2026 federal poverty guidelines. It is based on your household’s gross income, which is income before taxes and deductions.
| People in household | 48 states, DC and territories | Monthly equivalent | Alaska | Hawaii |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $21,546 | $1,796 | $26,933 | $24,786 |
| 2 | $29,214 | $2,435 | $36,518 | $33,602 |
| 3 | $36,882 | $3,074 | $46,103 | $42,417 |
| 4 | $44,550 | $3,713 | $55,688 | $51,233 |
| 5 | $52,218 | $4,352 | $65,273 | $60,048 |
| 6 | $59,886 | $4,991 | $74,858 | $68,864 |
| 7 | $67,554 | $5,630 | $84,443 | $77,679 |
| 8 | $75,222 | $6,269 | $94,028 | $86,495 |
| Each extra person | add $7,668 | add $639 | add $9,585 | add $8,816 |
These figures are 135% of the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines, rounded to the nearest dollar. The 48-state numbers match the table USAC publishes for Lifeline.
A quick example: a parent with two children earning $35,000 a year is a household of three. The limit for three people is $36,882, so that family qualifies. If the same parent earned $38,000, they would be over the limit. The only way in would be if someone in the house gets SNAP, Medicaid or another qualifying benefit.
More worked examples
Here is how the Lifeline income test plays out for a few common cases. All use the 48-state limits.
| Household | Yearly gross income | Limit | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Single retiree on Social Security | $1,650 a month x 12 = $19,800 | $21,546 (1 person) | Qualifies on income |
| Married couple, one part-time job | $2,500 a month x 12 = $30,000 | $29,214 (2 people) | Over by $786. Qualifies only through a program such as SNAP or Medicaid. |
| Parent and three kids, one full-time job | $3,600 a month x 12 = $43,200 | $44,550 (4 people) | Qualifies on income |
| Two adults, four kids, two jobs | $58,000 a year | $59,886 (6 people) | Qualifies on income |
Look at the second example. Many households over Lifeline’s income limit still get SNAP or Medicaid, and either one qualifies you with no income test.
Is the limit higher in my state?
For federal Lifeline, only Alaska and Hawaii have higher limits. Some states add their own programs. California LifeLine is a separate state program with its own application. It uses $24,600 a year for one person and $50,800 for four (June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027), according to the California Public Utilities Commission. You can get both if you qualify for both. Oregon adds a state discount. Texas checks who qualifies through its own state process.
What counts as household income
Household income means the total gross income of everyone who lives with you and shares income and expenses. That includes:
- Wages, salary and tips from every job, before taxes.
- Social Security retirement and disability payments, pensions and retirement income.
- Unemployment and workers’ compensation.
- Child support and alimony you receive.
- Self-employment income.
When you apply on income, you will need proof. Last year’s tax return or three months in a row of pay stubs will work. Our guide to documents needed for Lifeline lists what is accepted.
Use gross income, not take-home pay. If your paycheck shows $1,400 after taxes but $1,650 before, the $1,650 figure counts.
One Lifeline benefit per household
Only one Lifeline benefit is allowed per household, and this rule causes a large share of denials. For Lifeline, a household is everyone living at the same address who shares income and household expenses. It is not simply everyone under one roof.
Take roommates who split rent but otherwise pay their own way. Or take an adult child who covers their own costs while living with parents. Both can count as separate households. They prove it with a short household worksheet. The system may flag your address because someone else there already has Lifeline. If so, our guide on what to do when your Lifeline application is denied explains how the worksheet fixes it.
The benefit also covers one service. The FCC application form spells it out. For phone service, you get the benefit on one mobile phone or one home phone, not both. For internet, you get it on your mobile phone or your home connection, not both.
Extra rules on Tribal lands
Do you live on federally recognized Tribal lands? If so, the enhanced Tribal benefit raises the discount from $9.25 to up to $34.25 a month. Tribal Link Up adds a one-time discount of up to $100 on activation or installation. You qualify through the same programs as everyone else plus the four Tribal programs listed above.
Survivors of domestic violence
The Safe Connections Act created a separate path for survivors of domestic violence and related abuse. It is for those who are separating their phone line from an abuser’s account. According to LifelineSupport.org, a survivor who has asked a phone company for a line separation can get emergency Lifeline support. It lasts up to six months, with a discount of up to $9.25 a month.
Survivors can qualify with income at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines. They can also qualify through programs that do not normally count, including WIC, free or reduced-price school lunch and Federal Pell Grants. You need proof of your line separation request. It must show your name, the phone company’s name and a date within the last 12 months.
What you need besides eligibility
Meeting the income or program test is only half of the Lifeline eligibility requirements. The application also checks who you are and where you live. So you need your legal name and date of birth, the last four digits of your Social Security number or a Tribal ID number, and a home address or map location. Most people who qualify but still get turned down fail on one of these, not on income. See how long Lifeline approval takes for what happens after these checks.
You also have to be at least 18. The only exception is an emancipated minor, who must send a court paper proving it. Otherwise a parent or guardian applies for the household.
How much Lifeline is worth
Qualifying gets you a discount, and the size depends on the service:
| Service | Monthly discount |
|---|---|
| Internet, or phone and internet bundled | Up to $9.25 |
| Voice-only phone service | Up to $5.25 |
| Any of these on Tribal lands | Up to $34.25 |
Plans with data get the full $9.25. They must meet federal minimums such as 4.5 GB of mobile data a month. See Lifeline minimum service standards.
Who does not qualify
- Households already getting Lifeline through another person at the same address, unless they are separate households as described above.
- Households over the income limit whose only benefits are on the “do not qualify” list above.
- People under 18 who are not emancipated.
- People looking for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). It ended on June 1, 2024. Lifeline is still running.
Eligibility rules the FCC has proposed changing
An FCC proposal published April 3, 2026 would make several changes. It would require your full Social Security number and limit Lifeline to U.S. citizens and certain qualified immigrants. It would also consider “one per residence” instead of “one per household.” None of it is in effect as of September 2026. We found no final order. Today’s rules are the ones on this page.
Lifeline eligibility requirements FAQ
Do I qualify for a free government phone if I get SSDI or Medicare? Not through those alone. SSDI counts as income for the income test, and Medicare is not a qualifying program. If you also get Medicaid or SNAP, you qualify through that.
Are the free government phones eligibility requirements the same with every company? Yes for federal Lifeline. Assurance Wireless, Verizon, a local phone company and every other company in the program use the same FCC rules. They also use the same National Verifier (outside Texas and Oregon). Plans and phones differ; eligibility does not.
I’m homeless. Can I qualify? Yes. LifelineSupport.org says you can use a temporary address, such as a shelter or a friend’s home. If you get SNAP or Medicaid, that qualifies you like anyone else.
What are the Lifeline income limits for 2025? The 2025 limits were based on the 2025 poverty guidelines. They are no longer used. Applications in 2026 are checked against the 2026 table above.
Once you know you qualify, the next step is choosing a company. Our comparison of Lifeline providers shows which companies serve your state. It also shows what their free plans include.
Sources: USAC: Consumer Eligibility, LifelineSupport.org: Do I Qualify?, HHS 2026 poverty guidelines, FCC: Lifeline for consumers, LifelineSupport.org: Survivor Benefit, LifelineSupport.org: FAQs, USAC: Resolve Application Errors, Lifeline Program Application Form, FCC Form 5629, CPUC: California LifeLine Eligibility, Federal Register: Lifeline proposed rule, April 3, 2026, Benton Institute: Narrowing the Path to Lifeline, Part II