California LifeLine

California LifeLine is run by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC). If your phone bill is hard to pay each month, this state discount can help. An office called the California LifeLine Administrator checks your form and handles renewals. You get the discount through a phone company that offers it. It's separate from federal Lifeline, so you can have both.

If you're new to this, start with how federal Lifeline works. This page covers California: the state's own discount, its income limits, and how to sign up for both.

You may qualify if

• You live in California.
• You or someone in your home gets Medi-Cal, CalFresh, SSI or another program on the state's list.
• Or your household makes up to $24,600 a year for one person, or $33,300 for two, from June 2026 to May 2027.

Not sure you qualify? Apply anyway, because the Administrator makes the call, and if you get Medi-Cal, your income doesn't matter. If you would rather not do it alone, a Pair Team advocate can check with you in one call.

How California LifeLine and federal Lifeline differ

The income limit for three people is $42,100, and $50,800 for four.

Why do I have to sign up twice?

You have to sign up twice because the federal rules changed. For years, California checked who could get both discounts. An FCC order in November 2025 ended that setup. Since February 1, 2026, federal Lifeline in California goes through the National Verifier, the same as most states.

If you had both discounts before February 2026, you keep them for now. When it's time to renew, you renew each one, and the dates may not match. The change is in the steps, not the discount, the CPUC says.

What counts as income in California?

Income that counts is the money everyone in your home gets before taxes, the CPUC says. That includes Social Security, pensions, wages and other benefits, taxed or not. If anyone in your home gets Medi-Cal, CalFresh or SSI, you don't need to show income.

How to apply

1. Apply with a phone company that offers California LifeLine. Search by ZIP code at californialifeline.com, or call the LifeLine Call Center at 1-866-272-0357 for a list.
2. Ask for both discounts, since the company may give you one form that covers both. They're still two programs, each with its own approval and renewal.
3. Finish the California LifeLine form, which the company may help you do right away. If not, the Administrator mails you a pink envelope with steps to finish online or on paper.
4. Send copies of your proof by the due date, starting with a copy of your ID. Add proof you qualify, like a Medi-Cal card or letter, an SSI letter, or your Social Security benefit statement.
5. Apply for federal Lifeline too, because it's a separate discount. Use the National Verifier at LifelineSupport.org, or ask the company to help.

Each year, the renewal form comes in a pink envelope. Renew online or mail it back by the due date, or you lose the discount. If you have questions about a form or a renewal, call the California LifeLine Administrator at 1-877-858-7463, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Friday.

If you are turned down

You can appeal a denial, or a loss of your discount, to the CPUC Consumer Affairs Branch at 1-800-649-7570. It also takes complaints about California LifeLine.

Some denials can't be appealed, but you can apply again through your phone company. These include a form with no signature, no birth date, or no last four digits of your Social Security number.

What a Pair Team advocate does

In California, you now have two forms and two renewal dates. That's two chances to miss a letter and lose the phone your doctor uses to reach you. Here's what we do:

• Check, in one call, whether you can get California LifeLine, federal Lifeline, or both.
• Help you fill out both forms and send the proof, like your Medi-Cal letter.
• Keep track of both renewal dates, so a missed letter doesn't cut off your phone.
• Help with what usually comes with it: energy bill discounts, CalFresh, Medi-Cal and rides.

An advocate is covered by Medicare if you qualify. It takes two minutes to find out.

Check if you qualify for a Pair Team advocate

Frequently asked questions

Can I get California LifeLine on a home phone and a cell phone?

No, you can't get California LifeLine on both a home phone and a cell phone. California allows one LifeLine phone per household. You choose a home phone or a cell phone.

Do I pay full price while I wait?

For a home phone, you pay regular rates until you're approved, but then you get a credit back. It goes back to the day service started or the day you asked to enroll, whichever is later.

My company says my discount stopped. What happened?

Your discount may have stopped because a renewal form wasn't sent back by the due date. Since 2026, it may be only one of the two. For California LifeLine, call the Administrator at 1-877-858-7463. For federal Lifeline, call the Lifeline Support Center at 1-800-234-9473.

Is California LifeLine the same as the LADWP Lifeline Rate?

No, that's a different program. It comes from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). It's a discount on power and water bills in the City of Los Angeles. See help in Los Angeles County for that one.

Who is the California LifeLine Administrator?

The California LifeLine Administrator is the office the CPUC uses to check forms and handle renewals. It doesn't sell phone service, so you still get your phone through a company.

Sources

• California LifeLine vs Federal Lifeline, CPUC
• California LifeLine Program, CPUC
• California LifeLine Eligibility, CPUC
• California LifeLine Contacts, CPUC
• 2026-2027 California LifeLine Income Limits, CPUC
• California LifeLine, californialifeline.com
• Order DA 25-965 on California Lifeline, FCC
• Lifeline Support for Affordable Communications, FCC