How to Apply for Low Income Internet

If you have to connect to friend and family around the world or wish to see what’s happening across the globe, there is not much you can do without internet availability. However, it is not possible for many to pay hefty amounts for Internet packages. This should not worry you, as you can opt for low-income Internet.

What Options do I Have?

If you believe that you will not be able to afford the Internet packages that many opt for, you can resort to any of the following two options:

• Qualify for a lifeline.
• Resort to Internet Service Providers.

Today’s blog will explain to you about these two different options. So, you can make an informed decision.

Look for a Lifeline Program

There are two ways to go about this as well. Let us educate you about both.

Qualify through Your Income:

One way to go about it is to qualify through your income. There are certain rules for this. You need to calculate the percentage that your income is in percentage to the federal poverty guideline. If your income is 135% of the stated federal poverty guideline or less, you qualify for the lifeline assistance in this category.

However, you need to study the guidelines carefully for this. As the federal poverty guidelines vary according to the household size as well as the state that you reside in. But on average, the poverty guideline is $34k for a family of four.

Through a Government Program:

In case, you do not qualify for a lifeline based on your income, you can opt for a government program. If you or someone in your house participates in some selected federal assistance programs, then you can opt for this option. The Federal Communication Commission’s program helps you to lower your Internet or phone bills.

However, you should keep in mind that not all programs qualify for this advantage. Some of the many that do are as follows:

• Federal Public Housing Assistance.
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
• Medicaid.
• Supplemental Security Income.
• Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.

Having said so, there is a procedure that you will have to go through in case you apply for any of the above-mentioned lifelines. The procedures differ in both cases.

How to Apply for Low Income Internet?

If You Qualify through Income:

You will have to provide your gross annual income to tell them that you indeed qualify for this category. Some of the ways by which you can do so are by showing the following:

• Current income statement.
• Paycheck stub.
• Social security statement of benefits.
• Unemployment or Workers’ Compensation State of benefits.

If you qualify, then you can choose a phone or Internet company in your area and submit the application there. If your case gets approved, you can sign up for the Lifeline Program.

If You Qualify through a Government Assistance Program:

To begin with, you will have to show proof that you qualify. For this, you may need to show proof of qualification or an award letter from SNAP or Medicaid.

Once done, you can select an Internet or phone company near your area and request an application. For this, you will have to provide the following details:

• Your full name [legal].
• Your date of birth.
• Last 4 digits of your Social Security number.
• Your address.

In addition to the above-mentioned documents, the company might also ask you to show your Social Security card, unexpired ID or your Medicaid card. After the company has access to all the documents, your application will get processed. If your case gets approved, you will receive a Lifeline discount when your bill arrives.

Apart from the lifeline discount, you can also opt for Internet service providers that offer Internet at a discounted rate.

Provider Specific Low-Income Internet Programs

There are many telecommunication companies that have packages to offer that come at very reasonable costs. They refer to them as low-income assistance programs. These programs aim at providing assistance to the ones who are not earning much. Some of the companies that provide these packages include:

• AT&T.
• Mediacom.
• Xfinity.
• Cox.
• Spectrum.
• Frontier.
• CenturyLink.
• RCN.

However, you should know that not all homes qualify for these either. You have to meet a set of criteria to opt for this as well. You can always make a call to Spectrum Internet assist number or any other company’s rep who can guide you through the whole process. Or else you can also visit the websites to learn more.