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Yes, You Can Afford Telephone Service

The Federal Communications Commission and the Public Utility Commission of Texas have established two programs to make telephone service more affordable to eligible customers. Lifeline Service is a program designed to make telephone service available at reduced rates to eligible residential customers. Link-Up is a program designed to offer eligible customers a reduction in installation charges for telephone service equal to one half of the service connection charges or $30.00, whichever is less.

Information about customers who qualify for Lifeline Service or the Link-Up Program may be shared between state agencies and the Brazos Telephone Company.

NOTICE TO LIFELINE SERVICE SUBSCRIBERS

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has recently made changes to Lifeline and Linkup services, programs providing discounted telephone service for eligible low-income customers. Effective April 2, 2012, Link Up, a program providing discounts to the cost of installing telephone service, has been discontinued.

Also, the FCC reduced the maximum federal discount available through the Lifeline program from $10.00 to $9.25. This discount of $9.25 is applied monthly to your $6.50 subscriber line charge and local service rate. As a result of the FCC's order, you may see a slight increase in your monthly local service rate. If you have any questions, please contact our business office at 1-800-687-3222.

	Who Qualifies?
	How Do Telephone Customers Apply for Lifeline Service?
	How Do Telephone Customers and Applicants for Telephone Service Apply for Link-Up PR?

Who Qualifies?

You are eligible for Lifeline Service and Link-Up Program if your annual household income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines or if you participate in at least one of the following programs:

Medicaid
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

How Do Telephone Customers Apply for Lifeline Service?

Medicaid, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and SSI recipients:

If you currently have telephone service, you should automatically receive the Lifeline Service reduction. If you have telephone service and participate in one of the programs listed above, or your annual household income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines, and you are not receiving the Lifeline Service reduction, please contact the Low-Income Discount Administrator (LIDA) at 1-866-454-8387 (4-LITE-UP).

FPH and LIHEAP recipients:

If you have telephone service and participate in one of the programs listed above, or your annual household income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines, and you are not receiving the Lifeline Service reduction, you need to contact the Low-Income Discount Administrator (LIDA) at 1-866-454-8387 (4-LITE-UP) to request a blank self-certification form for Lifeline Service. Once you receive the form, complete and sign it and mail it back to LIDA. You will see the Lifeline Service reduction in your monthly bill within sixty days.

Low-Income Standard:

If you do not participate in any of the programs listed above and believe your household income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines and you currently have telephone service, call LIDA at 1-866-454-8387 (4-LITE-UP) or call Brazos Telephone Company at 1-800-687-3222 to request a blank self-certification form for Lifeline Service. Once you receive the form, complete and sign it and mail it back to LIDA. You will see the Lifeline Service reduction in your monthly bill within sixty days.

How Do Telephone Customers and Applicants for Telephone Service Apply for the Link-Up Program?

The Link-Up program provides applicants for telephone service and telephone customers who move their service a discount on installation charges.

If you do not have telephone service and wish to obtain telephone service or if you have telephone service and you move and you qualify for the Link-Up Program by participating in one of the programs listed above or your household income is at or below 125% of the federal poverty guidelines you may receive a 50% reduction or $30.00 credit, whichever is less on installation charges to establish service or move service. Please call our office at 1-800-687-3222 to establish your new service or move your existing service and request a Link-Up discount.

Please call the LIDA at 1-866-454-8387 (4-LITE-UP) if you have any questions regarding the Lifeline Service and Link-Up Program.

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