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Lifeline: Home phone & internet service

Connected service for less

Lifeline is a federal program that lowers the monthly cost of phone or internet service for those who qualify.

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It looks like an account already exists at this address

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Edit the address you entered below to continue

Your new address matched multiple addresses.

If there is an option below, you may select from the drop down. Otherwise we recommend that you update the address and provide an apartment number.  We're sorry for any inconvenience.

Your new address matched over 200 possible addresses.

Rather than have you select from a large list, we recommend that you update the address and provide an apartment number.  We're sorry for any inconvenience.

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Sorry, we can't find a home at that address. Please try again.

Your new address matched multiple addresses.

If there is an option below, you may select from the drop down. Otherwise we recommend that you update the address and provide an apartment number.  We're sorry for any inconvenience.

Your new address matched over 200 possible addresses.

Rather than have you select from a large list, we recommend that you update the address and provide an apartment number.  We're sorry for any inconvenience.

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Congrats - looks like your home qualifies for special offers

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Thanks, check out our offers available at your home

Your new address matched multiple addresses.

If there is an option below, you may select from the drop down. Otherwise we recommend that you update the address and provide an apartment number.  We're sorry for any inconvenience.

Your new address matched over 200 possible addresses.

Rather than have you select from a large list, we recommend that you update the address and provide an apartment number.  We're sorry for any inconvenience.

Step 1 - Check availability

Thanks, looks like your home is in our service area

This location has Lifeline benefits on phone service available for regular rate compared to the standard Cox Voice rate. Let's see if you qualify. 

Step 1 - Check availability

Unfortunately, your area does not offer Lifeline benefits

Lifeline benefits are only offered in qualified areas that have federal subsidies. If you believe an incorrect address was entered, please edit your address.
Otherwise, check out our alternative low-cost options.

Step 2 - Qualifications

Do you qualify?

You’re eligible if you meet and one of these requirements:

If your income is 135% or less than the Federal Poverty Guidelines. The guideline is based on your household size. See income qualifications.

If you, your dependent or someone in your household receive benefits from
 

  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps 
  • Medicaid 
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 
  • Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA) 
  • Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit 
  • Medi-Cal Supplemental Security Income (SSI)  
  • CalFresh Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC)  
  • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)  
  • National School Lunch's FREE Lunch Program (NSL)  
  • California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs)  
  • Stanislaus Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (StanWORKs)  
  • Welfare to Work (WTW) Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN) 

If you reside on Tribal lands or former Tribal lands, as defined in 47 CFR 54.400(e), you can also get Lifeline or California Lifeline if you, your dependent or someone in your household received benefits from
 

  • Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance 
  • Tribally Administered Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TITANF)  
  • Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)  
  • Head Start (Tribal lands, income-qualifying customers only) 

Disabled persons may be eligible for two discounted Lifeline lines. All Lifeline rules and regulations that apply to the first Lifeline shall apply equally to the second Lifeline provided to a household. A household with more than one disabled member is eligible to discounted Lifeline lines if:  The household meets all Lifeline eligibility criteria listed above. The household has a disabled member who has immediate and continuous access within the household to a TTY device or a Captioned Telephone (Captel) device. The TTY or Captel device is issued by DDTP or a medical certificate including the household member's need for the device is submitted to the Certifying Agent. Additional information regarding the California Lifeline Telephone program and services can be located online at californialifeline.com or at https://cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/telco.

Step 2 - Qualifications

Do you qualify?

You’re eligible if you meet and one of these requirements:

If your income is 135% or less than the Federal Poverty Guidelines. The guideline is based on your household size. See income qualifications.

If you reside on Tribal lands or former Tribal lands, as defined in 47 CFR 54.400(e), including but not limited parts of Oklahoma City and all of the Tulsa area, you can also get Lifeline if you, your dependent or someone in your household received benefits from  
 

  • Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance 
  • Tribally Administered Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TITANF)  
  • Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)  
  • Head Start (Tribal lands, income-qualifying customers only) 

If you, your dependent or someone in your household receive benefits from
 

  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps 
  • Medicaid 
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 
  • Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA) 
  • Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit 

Contact us to apply

Contact us to have an application form mailed to you. It will arrive in 7-10 days in a pink envelope for you to complete by a specific date that will be printed on the form. The application form must be completed either online or returned to the California Lifeline Administrator along with any required income documentation by the due date listed on the application form. Eligibility is determined by the California Lifeline Administrator, so Cox is unable to provide approval for Lifeline enrollment.

Step 3 - Application

Apply online with the National Verifier

Ready to get started? Just click the button, select your state and complete the form. You may immediately find out through the site if you qualify. If not, you will need to upload more documents to the consumer portal.

Mail your application

Rather apply offline?

Print and complete the Lifeline Application and Household Worksheet, then mail them to:


ACP/Lifeline Support Center
P.O. Box 9100
Wilkes-Barre, PA 18773-9100

 

 

USAC will contact you by email from LifelineSupport@usac.org or mail from the Lifeline Support Center to let you know if you qualify for Lifeline. Once you qualify for Lifeline, you can choose a phone or internet company that offers the Lifeline benefit to enroll in the program. If you already have phone or internet service with a company who offers Lifeline, they can help you complete the application process. You can find Lifeline phone and internet companies that serve your community here.

FAQs

Your questions answered

Lifeline is a federal program that provides discounts for phone or Internet service to qualifying low-income consumers.
 

Some states, such as California, have a state Lifeline program that provides discounts for phone service to qualifying low-income consumers. 

You can get Lifeline: 
 

If your income is 135% or less than the Federal Poverty Guidelines. The guideline is based on your household size. See income qualifications; or 
 

If you, your dependent or someone in your household receive benefits from 

  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps 
  • Medicaid 
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) 
  • Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA) 
  • Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit  


If you reside on Tribal lands, you can also get Lifeline if you, your dependent or someone in your household received benefits from  

  • Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance 
  • Tribally Administered Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TITANF)  
  • Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)  
  • Head Start (Tribal lands, income-qualifying customers only) 

Additional qualifying programs may be available based on your state of residence. More detailed instructions will be provided after you enter your service address.

The first step to apply is to confirm you are qualified for Lifeline. Consumers are qualified by the National Verifier or a state administrator. Steps to qualify will be provided after you enter your service address.
 

After you’ve been qualified, the application process is specific to your state of residence. Steps to apply will be provided after you enter your service address. 

You will receive steps to apply for Lifeline with Cox after you enter your service address. 

No worries. Check out Cox Voice, our phone service with over 20 helpful features or our other low-cost internet options. See the Affordable Connectivity Program for ways to save on your internet service. 

Lifeline discounts for phone are available wherever Cox provides residential phone service in California, Louisiana, and Oklahoma. Lifeline discounts for phone and internet are available in limited areas where Cox has recently deployed new service and has received federal funding to do so. Enter your home address to see if Lifeline is available in your area.

Every year, you have to show that you still qualify for Lifeline. The National Verifier will first try to confirm your eligibility automatically. If the National Verifier cannot recertify you automatically, you will be asked to submit documentation proving your eligibility.

You can only get one federal Lifeline benefit on either your phone or your Internet.
 

California provides a state Lifeline benefit for phone which you can receive in addition to the federal Lifeline benefit for phone or Internet. 

Yes! If you already have Lifeline, you can use that to qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program before February 8, 2024. You can receive Lifeline and ACP internet discounts at the same time until April 2024, the last full month of ACP discounts. Lifeline discounts will apply first and ACP will apply to any remaining eligible monthly service fee.  For more details, see cox.com/acp.

Lifeline service is a government assistance program in which only eligible consumers may enroll. The service is non-transferable and is limited to one discount per household. The advertised monthly discounted Lifeline local flat rate service is available only to qualifying residential customers who provide and maintain certification of Lifeline eligibility (based on criteria determined by governing regulatory authorities).
 
See Cox Digital Telephone service details. See important Cox Digital Telephone Power Outage usage information. See important information in the Residential Customer Service Agreement for full coverage details. See Annual Notice Information for related information and your privacy rights as a Cox customer. For all Cox Communication policies regarding our services and business practices visit www.cox.com/aboutus/policies.html.