Traditional Phone - Universal Lifeline

California Lifeline Telephone Service (California LifeLine or ULTS) is a discount program for low-income customers provided by the local telephone companies and sponsored by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). Click here to view answers to the most frequently asked questions.

If you qualify for California LifeLine, you are entitled to the following:

How to qualify for California Lifeline Service
Starting July 1, 2006, you may qualify for California LifeLine under either Method 1 Program-Based OR Method 2 Income-Based. You may also qualify for a 2nd California LifeLine Line if you or another person in your household is disabled and needs a telephone-text device (TTY) when using the phone.

Method 1 Program-Based
You qualify for California LifeLine if you or another person in your household is enrolled in any one of the following public-assistance programs:

• Medicaid/Medi-Cal
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Federal Public Housing Assistance or Section 8
• Food Stamps
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• Healthy Families Category A
• National School Lunch's FREE Lunch Program (NSL)
• Tribal TANF
• Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
• Women, Infant and Children Program (WIC)
• Head Start Income Eligible (Tribal Only)

Method 2 Income-Based
You qualify for California LifeLine if your total household income is at or less than the California LifeLine income maximums:

Household income is defined as all revenues received by everyone in your household, whether taxable or non-taxable, including, but not limited to: wages, salaries, interest, dividends, spousal support and child support, grants, gifts, allowances, stipends, public-assistance payments, social security and pensions, rental income, income from self-employment and cash payments from other sources, and all employment-related, non-cash income.

NEW CALIFORNIA LIFELINE CUSTOMERS: If you think you qualify for California LifeLine, please contact your local telephone company: SureWest, call toll-free at 1-800-232-4006. To qualify under Method 2 Income-Based, you must also provide documents proving that your total household income is at or below the California LifeLine income maximum. Acceptable income documents are:

• Prior year’s state, federal, or tribal tax return; or
• Any of the following income documents that represent your total household income:
  • Income statements or paycheck stubs for three consecutive months within the calendar year
  • Statement of benefits from Social Security, Veterans Administration, retirement/pension, unemployment compensation, and/or workmen’s compensation
  • A divorce decree
  • Child support document
  • Other official documents

EXISTING CALIFORNIA LIFELINE CUSTOMERS: If you are an existing California LifeLine customer and your next annual re-certification is due on or after July 1, 2006, instead of your local telephone company, your next annual re-certification will be conducted by the Certifying Agent, an agent of the CPUC. A verification form for re-certification will be mailed to you directly from the Certifying Agent. If you have questions about your next re-certification, call toll-free at 1-877-858-7463 or TTY 1-888-858-7889 from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM on regular business days on or after July 24, 2006. You will have the option of continuing your California LifeLine enrollment under Method 1 Program-Based or Method 2 Income-Based.

Eligibility Audit: The Commission or the Commission’s agent may audit your eligibility to participate in the California LifeLine program at any time. If the audit finds that you are not eligible, you will be removed from the California LifeLine program and billed for previous California LifeLine discounts that you should not have received plus interest at the 3-month commercial paper rate.

If you need more information regarding ULTS service, please call our Residential Services office at 916.786.6161 or 1.800.232.4006.