§ 54.409   Consumer qualification for Lifeline.

   (a) To constitute a qualifying low-income consumer:

   (1) A consumer's household income as defined in § 54.400(f) must be at or
   below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for a household of that size;
   or

   (2)  The  consumer,  one  or more of the consumer's dependents, or the
   consumer's household must receive benefits from one of the following federal
   assistance programs: Medicaid; Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program;
   Supplemental Security Income; Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8);
   Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program; National School Lunch Program's
   free lunch program; or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; or

   (3) The consumer meets additional eligibility criteria established by a
   state for its residents, provided that such-state specific criteria are
   based solely on income or other factors directly related to income.

   (b) A consumer who lives on Tribal lands is eligible for Lifeline service as
   a  “qualifying low-income consumer” as defined by § 54.400(a) and as an
   “eligible  resident  of Tribal lands” as defined by § 54.400(e) if that
   consumer meets the qualifications for Lifeline specified in paragraph (a) of
   this section or if the consumer, one or more of the consumer's dependents,
   or  the  consumer's  household  participates  in  one of the following
   Tribal-specific  federal assistance programs: Bureau of Indian Affairs
   general assistance; Tribally administered Temporary Assistance for Needy
   Families; Head Start (only those households meeting its income qualifying
   standard); or the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.

   (c) In addition to meeting the qualifications provided in paragraph (a) or
   (b)  of  this  section, in order to constitute a qualifying low-income
   consumer, a consumer must not already be receiving a Lifeline service, and
   there must not be anyone else in the subscriber's household subscribed to a
   Lifeline service.

   [ 77 FR 12970 , Mar. 2, 2012, as amended at  77 FR 38534 , June 28, 2012]

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