Important Notification Regarding Recertification:
The federal government requires every Lifeline customer to recertify their eligibility each year to maintain Lifeline service. This is an effort to eliminate and reduce fraud and abuse in the program. If you are no longer eligible for Lifeline service, you must report this change in eligibility status to GCI within 30 days.
GCI will contact each Lifeline customer in every year to formally complete this recertification. GCI is required by law to disconnect Lifeline service for customers who do not recertify.
It’s easy to recertify or update your eligibility. Click here to recertify online.
Program Overview
Lifeline is a government benefit program that enables qualified low-income consumers to receive discounted service on either a wireless or landline phone. However, qualifying consumers may only obtain one Lifeline benefit per “household.” You cannot transfer your Lifeline service to any other person.
For purpose of the Lifeline Program, a household is defined as “any individual or group of individuals who live together at the same address and share income and expenses as an economic unit.” A violation of the one-per-household limitation constitutes a violation of the Federal Communications Commission’s regulations governing the Lifeline Program and will result in the customer’s de-enrollment from the program.
Need to know if GCI Lifeline is available in your community? Check this chart. You can view the Wireless Lifeline coverage map here.
So, are you ready to sign up? Give us a call at 907.265.5400 if you are in Anchorage (1.800.800.4800 if you’re not) or visit one of our GCI stores.
Only “eligible” consumers qualify for the Lifeline benefit. Please review the following eligibility requirements to see if you qualify.
Eligibility
Only eligible consumers may enroll in the program. To qualify for Lifeline service, an applicant may be eligible in one of two ways:
- An applicant’s annual household income is at or below 135% of the applicable federal poverty guidelines for Alaska for a household of that size; or,
- An applicant participates and receives benefits in one of the public assistance programs that have been approved by the Federal Communications Commission or the Regulatory Commission of Alaska.
Income Eligibility
To qualify on the basis of annual household income, the applicant must provide proof of income eligibility that meets the household income criteria for Alaska as follows:
| Size of Household | Lifeline Eligibility Levels |
| 1 | $19,373 |
| 2 | $26,163 |
| 3 | $32,954 |
| 4 | $39,744 |
| 5 | $46,535 |
| 6 | $53,325 |
| 7 | $60,116 |
| 8 | $66,906 |
| For each additional person add | $6,791 |
Source: Federal Register , Vol. 78, No. 16, January 24, 2013 pp.5182-5183
Documentation of “household” income must be provided in one of the forms below:
- Last year’s state, federal or Tribal tax return
- A current income statement from an employer or paycheck stub
- A statement of benefits from the U.S. Social Security Admin.
- A statement of benefits from the U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs
- A retirement or pension statement of benefits
- An unemployment or worker’s compensation statement of benefits
- A federal or tribal notice of letter of participation in general assistance
- A divorce decree or child support award
- Any other official document containing income information.
If the documentation presented does not cover a full year, such as current pay stubs, the documentation must cover at least three consecutive months within the previous twelve months.
Program Eligibility
To qualify on the basis of program eligibility, the applicant must provide proof of participation in one of the following authorized public assistance programs:
- Alaska Adult Public Assistance Program
- Alaska State Housing Corporation Program
- Public Housing
- Home Investment Partnership
- Alaska Temporary Assistance Program
- BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) General Assistance Program
- Child Care Assistance Program, Pass I, II and III
- Denali Kid Care
- Federal Public Housing Assistance Program
- Food Stamps (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program)
- HeadStart Program – qualifying under low income criteria
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program
- Medicaid
- National School Lunch Program’s FREE Lunches
- Pioneer Home Payment Assistance
- Senior Citizen Housing Development Fund
- State of Alaska Senior Benefits Program
- State of Alaska Heating Assistance Program
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) (not Social Security payments)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Veterans Administration (VA) Pension
- Women, Infants and Children’s Program (WIC)
PLEASE NOTE: Proof of program participation must be submitted with any application for Lifeline Service based on participation in one of these programs. Acceptable documentation includes: (I) current or prior year’s statement of benefits from a qualifying program; (II) a notice or letter of participation in a qualifying program; (III) program participation documents; or (IV) another official document demonstrating that the customer, one or more of the customers’ dependents or the customer’s household receives benefits from a qualifying assistance program.
To apply for Lifeline service, customers must complete a Lifeline application form and present the required documentation discussed above. Applications are available at any of GCI’s retail stores, or prospective customers may call Customer Service at 1-800-800-4800.
MAKING A FALSE STATEMENT TO OBTAIN LIFELINE BENEFITS IS A PUNISHABLE OFFENSE.
Consumers must fully understand that if they make false statements in order to obtain Lifeline service they can be punished by fine or imprisonment or can be barred from the Lifeline Program.
LIFELINE SERVICE IS NON-TRANSFERABLE
Lifeline service cannot be transferred or conveyed to any other person. If someone else wants Lifeline service, he/she must independently apply and qualify on his/her own.
