Low-Income Telephone Assistance Program
Financial assistance through the Lifeline program is available to help eligible Iowans afford and maintain basic telephone service. Below is a list of ways to qualify for lifeline support.
If you participate in one of these following government programs, you qualify for Lifeline:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
- Veterans Pension or Survivors Pension
- Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) General Assistance
- Tribally-Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Tribal head Start
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
To prove participation in one of the above programs, you must submit a document that, at a minimum, includes:
- Your name, or the name of your benefit qualifying person (BQP);
- The name of the Lifeline-qualifying program, such as SNAP;
- The government or Tribal program administrator or the managed care organization (MCO) that issued the document; and
- An issue date within the last 12 months or a future expiration date that aligns with the benefit period.
If your household income is at 135% or less of the federal poverty guidelines, you qualify for Lifeline. To prove your household income is at 135% or less of the federal poverty guidelines, you must submit one or more of the following documents:
- The prior year’s state, federal, or Tribal tax return
- Current income statement from an employer or paycheck stub
- A Social Security statement of benefits
- A Veterans Administration statement of benefits
- A retirement/pension statement of benefits
- An Unemployment/Workers’ Compensation statement of benefit
- Federal or Tribal notice letter of participation in General Assistance
- Divorce decree, child support award, or other official document containing income information
Lifeline application forms are available from Osage Municipal Utilities, the Iowa Utilities Board, or North Iowa Community Action. To apply simply complete the application form and then return it to Osage Municipal Utilities.
Consumers may only receive low-income assistance from one wireline or wireless telephone provider. Customers eligible for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program are also eligible for the Lifeline assistance plan. Applications for LIHEAP are accepted by the Iowa Department of Human Rights between October 1 and April 15 annually. Customers providing their consent and meeting LIHEAP requirements will be concurrently enrolled for both programs.
For more information, call Osage Municipal Utilities at 641-832-3731 or the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) toll free at 1-877-565-4450, or online at https://iub.iowa.gov/lifeline.