LIFELINE AND MINNESOTA TELEPHONE ASSISTANCE PLAN
- Definitions:
Lifeline is the local service offering that is available to low income consumers, for which such consumers pay reduced charges as a result of the federal support described in 47 C.F.R. 54.403 and Sections 6 and 7 below, and that includes the servieces required to be provided for federal universal service support eligibility under 47 C.F.R. 54.101. The Telephone Assistance Plan (TAP) provides for additional state credits against the recurring monthly rates for the provision of local residential service for eligible residential subscibers. - Eligibility for the Federal Lifeline Credit:
a. To qualify for the federal Lifeline credit the customer must be currently eligible for:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Plan (SNAP);
- Medicaid;
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI);
- Federal public housing assistance;
- Veterans Pension & Survivors Pension Benefit;
- Tribal Programs;
- Income at 135% of proverty guidelines
b. Eligibility will be established by the Compnay obtaining from a customer a document signed by the customer certifying under penalty of perjury that the customer receives benefits from one of the above programs and identifying the program or programs from whcih the customer receives benefits. On the same document, a qualifying low-income customer must also agree to notify the Company if the customer ceases to participate in the program or programs. Individuals who qualify under the above mentioned Tribal Programs because they live on or near a federally recognized reservation may qualify under these Tribal Programs;
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
- Tribally Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
- Head Start
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
c. The applicant signs a document certifying under penalty of perjury that the applicant receives benefits from one of the programs listed and identifying the program or programs from which that consumer receives benefits.
d. The applicant signs a document agreeing to notify the carrier if that consumer ceases to participate in the program or programs. When the company is notified by the customer that the customer no longer participates in one of the above programs, the federal credits to that customers's monthly charges shall cease beginning with the start of the billing cycle beginning in the month after the month in which notification is received. - Eligibility Revocation:
If the telephone company discovers that the conditions exist that disqualify the recipient of Lifeline Assistnace, the support will be disconnected. The customer will be billed retroactively to whichever is the most recent of the dates Lifeline assistance commenced or the recipient no longer qualified for the service not to exceed 12 months. - Eligibility for the State TAP Credit:
a. The state TAP credit is only available to residential subscribers who meet the eligibility requirements for the Federal Lifeline Credit in 2 above.
b. The customer must reside in Minnesota or have moved to Minnesota and intenet to remain
Enrollment Information
We have contracted with NECA Services, Inc. (NSI) to perform many of the
reporting and auditing functions required by the FCC for this program. For more
information about the program, go to their website at: https://mn.gov/commerce/consumers/your-phone/phone-discounts/.
To enroll in the Lifeline Program, please call the business office or send an
email to n
Telephone Equipment Distribution (TED)
This program provides free specialized
telecommunications equipment to income eligible Minnesotans who are having
trouble using the telephone due to a hearing, speech or physical disability.
For more information on the TED program, call
1-800-657-3663 (voice)
1-888-206-6555 (TTY)
or go to the website mn.gov/deaf-hard-of-hearing/communication-access
Minnesota Relay
Phone family, friends or vital services even if you have a
hearing, speech or physical disability. Minnesota Relay is a free service,
providing full telephone accessibility for anyone who is hard of hearing, deaf
or speech disabled, through the use of specially trained communications
assistants (CA). Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call next door or
internationally. Calls are 100% confidential.
Now it is easier than ever to make a Minnesota Relay call....Just dial 711.
Once connected to the relay service, tell the CA the type of relay call you want to
make. Or, dial the specific toll free number for the type of relay call you
want to make.
Services available are:
Text Telephone (TTY)....1-800-627-3529
Allows anyone who is deaf, hard of hearing, or speech disabled to
use a TTY to communicate with anyone using a standard telephone.
Standard Telephone...1-800-627-3529
A hearing person uses a standard telephone to place a relay call
and easily converse with a person who is deaf, hard of hearing or speech disabled.
Captioned Telephone (CAPTEL)...1-877-243-2823
CapTel allows a person who has hearing loss to receive
word-for-word captions of phone conversations. Captions are displayed on the CapTel phone's
display screen so the user can read the words while listening to the voice of the other
party. CapTel phone required.
Hearing Carry Over (HCO)...1-800-627-3529
Allows a hearing person with very limited or no speech
capabilities to make a phone call. Requires a special phone.
Voice Carry Over (VCO)...1-877-627-3024
Allows anyone who has difficulty hearing on the phone to voice
conversations directly to a hearing person. Requires a special phone.
2 Line Voice Carry Over (VCO)...1-866-855-4611
Allows a VCO user to use one phone line for speaking directly to
the other person, and a second line to receive the CA's typed response from the other
person. Requires additional service and equipment.
Spanish Relay...1-877-627-5448
The CA relays calls between a Spanish speaking person with a
hearing or speech disability and a Spanish speaking hearing person.
Speech to Speech (STS)...1-877-627-3848
Allows a person who has difficulty speaking or being understood on
the phone to communicate using his/her own voice or voice synthesizer.
Computer(ASCII)...1-800-627-3529
Set communications software to the following protocols: speeds ranging
from 300 to 2400; 8 Bits; No Parity; 1 Stop Bit; Full Duplex. When calling at
a rate of 300 or below, follow the above using Half Duplex.
900 Pay-per-Call Services...1-900-230-3324
Allows a relay user to connect to any pay-per-call service.
For more information, call 1-800-657-3775 (Voice/TTY)or go to their website at www.mnrelay.org
