California LifeLine Eligibility Checker
California LifeLine cuts the cost of one home phone or cell phone per household. Check the program and income paths.
You qualify for California LifeLine if anyone in your household is on a program such as Medi-Cal, CalFresh, SSI, WIC, LIHEAP, Section 8, the school lunch program or CalWORKs, or if total household income before taxes is at or below $24,600 for one person or $50,800 for four (June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027). The discount is up to $19.00 a month from California LifeLine plus up to $9.25 from federal Lifeline, on one home phone or one cell phone.
California LifeLine Eligibility Checker
Your Result
Income limits, June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027
| People in household | Yearly income at or below |
|---|---|
| 1 | $24,600 |
| 2 | $33,300 |
| 3 | $42,100 |
| 4 | $50,800 |
| Each additional person | +$8,700 |
Income counts everyone in the household, from all sources, before taxes: wages, Social Security, pensions, child support, unemployment and public assistance. The CPUC raises the limits each June 1 by inflation. Qualifying programs: Medi-Cal, LIHEAP, SSI, Section 8 or federal public housing, CalFresh/SNAP, WIC, the National School Lunch Program, TANF, CalWORKs (and StanWORKs, Welfare-to-Work, GAIN), Tribal TANF, Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal Head Start, the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations and the federal Veterans and Survivors Pension.
What you get: one discount per household, on either a home phone or a cell phone. California LifeLine pays up to $19.00 a month and federal Lifeline up to $9.25, so many LifeLine cell plans with unlimited talk and text and some data cost nothing. A CPUC home broadband pilot adds up to $20 a month for standalone internet or $30 bundled with phone service where a participating provider offers it. Apply through a participating phone company; find one at californialifeline.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the income limit for California LifeLine?
From June 1, 2026 to May 31, 2027: $24,600 a year for one person, $33,300 for two, $42,100 for three and $50,800 for four, plus $8,700 for each additional person, in total household income before taxes.
How much is the California LifeLine discount?
Up to $19.00 a month from California LifeLine plus up to $9.25 from federal Lifeline, up to $28.25 in all, on one home phone or cell phone per household.
Can I get LifeLine on both a home phone and a cell phone?
No. California LifeLine allows one discount per household, on either a home phone or a cell phone. Teletypewriter users and Deaf and Disabled Telecommunications Program participants are the exceptions.
Does LifeLine cover internet?
Through a CPUC home broadband pilot, a participating provider can give up to $20 a month off standalone broadband or $30 off broadband bundled with phone service. Ask your provider whether it takes part.
How do I apply for California LifeLine?
Contact a participating phone company (californialifeline.com lists them) and ask for the LifeLine discount. The California LifeLine Administrator mails or texts you an application, and you send proof of program enrollment or income. Renew once a year.
This tool gives an estimate only and is not affiliated with the CPUC or the California LifeLine Administrator, which decides eligibility.