Lifeline Eligibility Calculator

Check your household against the real 2026 federal income threshold, or the qualifying-program list — in under a minute.

Where do you live?

Household size

Loading current federal poverty guidelines…

Annual household income (optional if you already qualify by program below)

Or check if anyone in your household already participates in:

SNAP (food stamps) Medicaid Supplemental Security Income (SSI) Federal Public Housing Assistance Veterans Pension or Survivors Benefit I live on Tribal lands

Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance Tribal TANF Tribal Head Start (income-qualifying) Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

How this calculator works

Lifeline offers two independent paths to eligibility, and you only need one: income at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for your household size and region, or participation in a qualifying federal assistance program. This calculator uses the actual 2026 HHS poverty guidelines (effective January 13, 2026) and USAC's published 135% multiplier — nothing here is estimated or rounded from a stale table. See the full eligibility guide for documentation requirements, or jump straight to the official National Verifier to apply.

Sources: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2026 Poverty Guidelines (Federal Register, January 15, 2026); USAC Lifeline Consumer Eligibility. This tool is independent and not affiliated with the FCC, USAC, or any carrier — it's a pre-check, not the official application.