Products & Services : Residential Services : Local Phone Service : Lifeline Assistance & Link-Up

LOW-INCOME IA, MN & SD CUSTOMERS MAY QUALIFY FOR TELEPHONE ASSISTANCE

Low-income telephone assistance is available to qualifying low-income customers as part of two federal support programs.  These programs, “Lifeline Assistance” and "Link-Up," are available through Alliance Communications

• "Lifeline" is a plan that assists qualified low-income customers by providing a monthly credit on their telephone bill.
  
• "Link-Up" is an assistance plan that helps qualified low-income customers pay for the installation of basic telephone service by reducing connection charges by 50 percent, or $30, whichever is less.

Another feature of the Lifeline program enables qualified applicants to avoid paying a service deposit if they voluntarily agree to have long distance calling blocked from their telephone.

"This telephone assistance plan is available to qualified customers," said Mark Bahnson, Office Manager for Alliance Communications.   "Alliance Communications wants to let low-income customers know about these programs, and encourage those eligible customers to apply."

Customers whose income is at or below 135 percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines are eligible for telephone assistance.  Additionally, customers who participate in one or more of the following programs are eligible for telephone assistance:

• Medicaid
• Food Stamps
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Federal Public Housing Assistance
• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Temporary Assistance to Needy Families Program (TANF)
• National School Lunch Program (NSL)

To apply for either or both of these low-income telephone assistance plans, applicants should submit an application to Alliance Communications.  Application forms can be obtained from Alliance Communications office in Brandon, Baltic or Garretson or at local and county offices of the Department of Human Services, Area Agency on Aging, and the Community Action Program offices of the Department of Human Rights.  You may also download the application in PDF format by clicking here.

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