Darnell is a father of two in North Carolina working full time at $19 an hour. His internet bill runs $65 a month, and some months that’s the payment he pushes off the longest. He assumed asking for help meant admitting he couldn’t manage his own bills. It doesn’t. It means using a program built for exactly his situation.

The Program Overview

The federal program most families ask about, the Affordable Connectivity Program, closed on June 1, 2024. The Federal Communications Commission ended it after Congress did not approve new funding, and it froze new enrollments even earlier, in February 2024. If you’re reading older advice that treats ACP as something you can still sign up for, that advice is out of date.

The program still standing is Lifeline, run by the FCC. Lifeline gives eligible households a $9.25 monthly discount on phone or internet service, and up to $34.25 a month for households on Tribal lands. It’s a smaller discount than ACP offered, but it’s a real, ongoing benefit with no funding cliff attached to it right now.

Who Qualifies, in Plain Numbers

You qualify for Lifeline one of two ways. Through income: your household earns at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines. For 2026, that’s up to $21,546 a year for a single person in the lower 48 states, or up to about $36,882 a year for a household of three.

Or through program participation: if anyone in your household already receives SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, or a Veterans or Survivors Pension, you already qualify. You don’t need to check the income number if that applies to you. A household can only claim one Lifeline benefit, regardless of how many people live there.

How to Apply

Apply through the Lifeline National Verifier. Have proof of income ready, like recent pay stubs, or proof of enrollment in a qualifying program, like a benefits award letter. Once approved, choose a participating phone or internet provider in your area. The provider applies the discount directly, so you never handle a rebate or a check. Confirm your provider participates before you switch or sign up for new service.

What Most Families Get Wrong

The most common mistake is not applying because the paperwork feels like too much for a $9.25 discount. Over a year, that’s over $100 back in a family’s pocket, for a form that usually takes under 20 minutes. Another mistake is assuming a past ACP application automatically carries over. It doesn’t. Lifeline requires its own application, even if you already qualified for ACP before it closed.

A third mistake is treating “asking for help” as a last resort instead of a normal step. Lifeline was built by federal regulators specifically for working households whose income sits below a clear, published threshold. Using a program built for your income bracket is not a failure. It’s the program working as intended.

What to Do If You’re Turned Down

Check the denial reason first. Most rejections come down to a document that doesn’t match, like an address on your ID that’s different from your utility bill. Correct the paperwork and resubmit through the National Verifier. If you still believe you qualify, you can appeal and add more supporting documents, like a program award letter instead of an income statement.

If you don’t qualify for Lifeline at all, ask your internet provider directly whether they run their own low-income plan. Several providers built these after ACP ended, at the FCC’s encouragement. They’re not guaranteed and they vary by company, but asking costs nothing and takes one phone call.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) something I can still apply for? No. The FCC closed ACP on June 1, 2024, after a February 2024 enrollment freeze and no new funding from Congress. Any guide telling you to apply for ACP today is describing a program that no longer exists.

What can I apply for instead of ACP? Lifeline is the main federal option still active. It offers a $9.25 monthly discount on phone or internet service, or $34.25 for households on Tribal lands. It’s smaller than ACP’s discount, but it doesn’t have ACP’s funding problem.

Do I qualify for Lifeline based on my income? For 2026, a single person in the lower 48 states qualifies at or below $21,546 a year, based on 135% of the federal poverty guidelines. A household of three qualifies at or below about $36,882 a year.

Do I qualify automatically if I’m already on SNAP or Medicaid? Yes. If anyone in your household participates in SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, or a Veterans or Survivors Pension, you meet the eligibility bar without needing to submit income documentation.

Is it worth applying for a $9.25 monthly discount? That’s over $100 a year for most households, and the application through the National Verifier typically takes under 20 minutes with the right documents. For a working family managing a tight monthly budget, that’s a real amount for a short form.