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Utilities & Connectivity

Lifeline Discount Amount 2026: How Much You Get and Who Qualifies

·8 min read

If you are looking for the Lifeline discount amount, here it is: up to $9.25 a month for broadband or a phone-and-internet bundle, up to $5.25 a month for phone-only service, and up to $34.25 a month if you live on qualifying Tribal lands. Those are the current federal amounts. Most people searching for this are searching 2024 figures, usually because they lost the Affordable Connectivity Program — this page states what Lifeline pays now, and is honest about how it compares.

Lifeline monthly discount by service type — current as of 2026-09-04

Broadband internet, or a voice + broadband bundleThe standard benefit. This is what most households receive.Up to $9.25/mo
Phone-only (standalone voice)Available through November 30, 2027 — the FCC paused the phase-out on July 1, 2026.Up to $5.25/mo
Qualifying Tribal landsAn extra $25 added to the base amount, not instead of it.Up to $34.25/mo

One benefit per household, not per person, and you choose either phone or internet — you cannot take both discounts. Amounts published by USAC, the program administrator, and verified 2026-09-04. They are set by FCC rule rather than adjusted for inflation, so they hold until the FCC changes the rule.

What Changed Since 2024 — and What Did Not

The Lifeline amounts above are the same figures that applied in 2024: up to $9.25 for broadband, up to $5.25 for phone-only, up to $34.25 on Tribal lands. They are set by FCC rule and are not adjusted each year, so searching for a 2024 amount and finding today's amount is not a mistake — nothing about the payment changed. What changed is the other program. The Affordable Connectivity Program ended on June 1, 2024, and one thing about phone-only service changed in your favor in 2026, covered below.

If You Lost the ACP, Read This First

The Affordable Connectivity Program was a separate, larger broadband benefit. It paid up to $30 a month toward internet service, up to $75 on qualifying Tribal lands, plus a one-time discount of up to $100 toward a laptop or tablet. It ended on June 1, 2024 when Congress did not renew its funding, and it is not accepting applications. Lifeline is a different program that was never part of the ACP and continued unaffected. It is worth being straight about the difference: at up to $9.25 a month, Lifeline is a smaller benefit than the one that ended. It is not a replacement for the ACP and nobody should tell you it is. It is, however, still money off a bill you are paying, it has no end date, and losing the ACP did not change your Lifeline eligibility or reduce what Lifeline pays.

Phone-Only Service Is Still Covered

This is the part most pages get wrong, including an earlier version of this one. Standalone voice service — a phone line with no internet — is still supported at up to $5.25 a month, and remains so through November 30, 2027. The FCC had been phasing that support down, but on July 1, 2026 its Wireline Competition Bureau paused the phase-out for a further year. There is a separate FCC rule that sometimes gets described as ending phone-only Lifeline, and it does not. Public Notice DA 26-705 lets certain carriers stop offering Lifeline voice service in named counties where broadband competition is strong. It limits which carriers must offer the service; it does not decide who qualifies, it does not reduce the discount, it applies only to carriers that also receive federal high-cost support rather than the Lifeline-focused carriers most households use, and the notice states plainly that it does not affect subscribers a carrier already serves. In practice: if you want phone-only Lifeline and one provider will not offer it, try another, or take the broadband benefit instead.

Who Qualifies

There are two routes. The first is income: your household income at or below 135% of the 2026 federal poverty guidelines. The second, and the easier one, is participation in another program — if you receive SNAP, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, Federal Public Housing Assistance, or a Veterans Pension or Survivors benefit, you qualify automatically, with no separate income test. Federal Public Housing Assistance includes Housing Choice Vouchers (Section 8), project-based rental assistance, and public housing. On qualifying Tribal lands, four more programs also qualify you: Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, and Head Start for households meeting its income standard.

How to Apply and What Documentation You Need

Apply free through the National Verifier at lifelinesupport.org, which USAC runs on the FCC's behalf. You can apply online, by mail, or through a participating phone or internet company. Nobody needs to be paid to file on your behalf. If you qualify through another benefit, bring proof of that participation — a benefit award letter or other official document showing your name, the program, and a date within the last twelve months. If you qualify on income, bring a tax return or three consecutive months of pay stubs. Once approved, you choose a participating provider and apply the benefit to a plan; USAC's companies-near-me tool lists providers serving your address. You must recertify once a year to keep the benefit.

Choosing a Provider

Lifeline providers vary a lot by state — some are national carriers, many are smaller wireless companies that specialize in Lifeline plans. Compare what each gives you for the discount: minutes, texts, data allowance, and whether a device is included. Many providers structure a plan so the discount covers it entirely, which is where the phrase "free government phone" comes from; that is a provider's pricing decision, not a separate federal program. Because it is one benefit per household and one service, pick the plan matching how you actually use your phone or internet.

Common Questions

How much is the Lifeline discount?

The Lifeline discount is up to $9.25 a month for broadband internet or a voice-and-broadband bundle, and up to $5.25 a month for standalone phone service. Households on qualifying Tribal lands get up to $25 a month on top of the base amount, which is up to $34.25 a month with broadband. It is one benefit per household, not per person.

Is the Lifeline subsidy amount still the same as it was in 2024?

Yes. The Lifeline amounts are set by FCC rule and are not adjusted annually, so the up to $9.25 broadband amount and the up to $5.25 phone-only amount are the same figures that applied in 2024. The program that changed was the Affordable Connectivity Program, which was separate and ended on June 1, 2024.

Can I still get Lifeline for phone service only?

Yes. Standalone voice service is supported at up to $5.25 a month through November 30, 2027. The FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau paused the phase-out of voice-only support on July 1, 2026. A separate rule allows some carriers to stop offering Lifeline voice in particular counties, but that limits which carriers must offer it rather than whether you qualify, and it does not affect subscribers a carrier already serves.

Does Lifeline replace the Affordable Connectivity Program?

No. The ACP ended on June 1, 2024 and paid up to $30 a month, up to $75 on qualifying Tribal lands. Lifeline is a separate, smaller and continuing benefit of up to $9.25 a month. Losing the ACP did not change your Lifeline eligibility or the amount Lifeline pays, but Lifeline does not make up the difference.

Who automatically qualifies for Lifeline?

You qualify automatically if you receive SNAP, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, Federal Public Housing Assistance, or a Veterans Pension or Survivors benefit — no separate income test is needed. Otherwise you qualify if your household income is at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines. On qualifying Tribal lands, Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, and income-qualifying Head Start also make you eligible.

Sources

Bottom Line

Lifeline pays up to $9.25 a month toward broadband, up to $5.25 toward phone-only service, and up to $34.25 on qualifying Tribal lands. If you get SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, or a Veterans Pension or Survivors benefit, you qualify automatically — no income paperwork. It is smaller than the ACP that ended in 2024, and it is not a replacement for it, but it is ongoing and it is free to apply for at lifelinesupport.org. Recertify once a year to keep it.

Approved? The next step is choosing a participating provider

Find Lifeline providers near you at lifelinesupport.org →