Applicants will no longer be required to provide a Social Security number to receive assistance, as the California Public Utilities Commission is set to vote on the matter this month.
Ten years after the initial decision to stop mandating Social Security numbers for applicants of a subsidized cell phone service in California, the change is finally on the horizon.
The commission recently proposed that the California Universal Lifeline Telephone Service Program, also known as California Lifeline, be accessible to Californians without a Social Security number. This decision follows a ruling made by the commission in 2014, which was never fully implemented.
California Lifeline offers qualifying low-income residents a credit of up to $19 per month on their current cellphone bill and up to $39 towards setting up wireless service. Additionally, it eliminates various federal, local, and state surcharges. The funding for this program comes from surcharges imposed on California cellphone users.
While there is a federal Lifeline program available for low-income households, providing a credit of up to $9.25 per month, it does require a Social Security number for eligibility.
The recent move by the PUC was prompted by a letter from the nonprofit Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles, dated August 30, 2023, urging the commission to enforce its 2014 ruling.
The commission cited a 2012 ruling by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) as the reason for changing its requirements initially, which now require only the last four digits of applicants’ Social Security numbers.
Concerned that the Social Security number requirement might exclude some low-income households, the PUC voted to allow Californians without a Social Security number to apply with a valid government-issued ID.
Under the proposed change, applicants can still provide their Social Security numbers if they wish to be eligible for both state and federal subsidies. Those without a Social Security number can apply for the California Lifeline program only.
The commission is set to vote on the proposal at its meeting on August 22.
Eligibility criteria include being recipients of other state public assistance programs like Section 8 housing, CalFresh, Medi-Cal or Medicaid, the Women, Infants and Children Program, or the National School Lunch Program. Nearly 96 percent of those enrolled in the state lifeline program are verified through their participation in these programs.
Applicants can also qualify based on income, with a family of four needing to earn $48,400 or less to be eligible for the program.
Currently, recipients of the Lifeline program receive between $100 million to $150 million annually from state and federal programs, according to the commission.
