Do I qualify?
Free government phone: do you qualify in 2026?
Independent site, not the FCC, USAC or a phone company. Lifeline applications are made only on the official National Verifier or through your state.
Your state, household size, income and benefits give the Lifeline answer right here, without a name, a Social Security number or a phone call.
Your income qualifies
$9.25 off per month
| 2026 income limit, 3 people | $36,882 |
| Your income is under it by | $6,882 |
| Share of the poverty guideline | 110% |
| Discount over a year | $111 |
| Where to apply | National Verifier (USAC) |
- Income route: proof of a full year of income, or 3 consecutive months of pay stubs.
- California LifeLine (limit $42,100): you also look eligible for up to $19 more.
- One Lifeline per household (48 states, DC and territories table). How to apply
Everything you enter stays in this browser: nothing is sent or stored. This is an estimate from the published rules; the decision is made by the National Verifier or your state.
What people call a free government phone is the federal Lifeline program, run by the FCC and administered by USAC. It does not hand out phones. It takes up to $9.25 a month off a phone or internet plan from an approved company, or up to $34.25 on qualifying Tribal lands, and many companies set their Lifeline plan price at that amount, which is why the service can cost nothing. A household qualifies in one of two ways under 47 CFR 54.409: its gross income is at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines, $21,546 a year for one person and $44,550 for four in 2026, or someone in it gets SNAP, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, Federal Public Housing Assistance or a Veterans or Survivors Pension. Only one Lifeline benefit is allowed per household. The checker above applies those rules to your figures and tells you where to apply in your state.
What the Lifeline discount is worth
Discount per month
$9.25
| Over 12 months | $111 |
| Standard part | $9.25 |
| Tribal lands extra | $0 |
The discount comes off the bill of the company you choose; it is never paid to you in cash.
Rules and figures read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method
What the program pays, in dollars
Lifeline is a discount on a monthly bill. Under 47 CFR 54.403 the basic federal support is $9.25 a month for a plan that meets the broadband standard, mobile or home internet, or a bundle of voice and data. A plan that only meets the voice standard earns $5.25: the FCC had planned to end voice-only support, but its Wireline Competition Bureau paused that phase-out again on July 1, 2026, so $5.25 stays available through November 30, 2027. On qualifying Tribal lands an extra $25 a month is added, for a total of up to $34.25.
The company must pass the full amount through to you. In practice there are two kinds of offer: a plan whose price equals the discount, so you pay nothing, and a regular plan with the discount taken off. Over a year, the standard benefit is worth $111; the Tribal benefit $411.
Does this plan earn the full discount?
Federal support
$9.25
| Data standard | 4.5 GB |
| Meets the broadband standard | Yes |
| Meets the voice standard | Yes |
Full support of $9.25.
The two ways to qualify
The first route is a benefit. If you, a dependent or anyone in your household receives SNAP, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, Federal Public Housing Assistance or a Veterans or Survivors Pension, you qualify whatever your income. On Tribal lands, four more programs count: Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, Head Start for households that met its income test, and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations. The Medicaid page and the food stamps page show which proof each state checks automatically.
The second route is income. The income limits are 135% of the poverty guidelines that HHS published for 2026, with separate figures for Alaska and Hawaii:
| Household | 48 states, DC, territories | Alaska | Hawaii |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $21,546 | $26,933 | $24,786 |
| 2 people | $29,214 | $36,518 | $33,602 |
| 3 people | $36,882 | $46,103 | $42,417 |
| 4 people | $44,550 | $55,688 | $51,233 |
| Each extra person | +$7,668 | +$9,585 | +$8,816 |
Income means gross income of every member of the household as the tax code defines it, before deductions. A household that is a few dollars over the line does not qualify on income, but may still qualify through a benefit it has not yet claimed.
Where the application really goes
Eligibility is not decided by the company that advertises the phone. In every state but two it is decided by the National Verifier, the system USAC runs for the FCC, which checks government databases and, if they do not confirm your benefit or income, asks for a copy of a document. You can apply on the National Verifier yourself, by mail, or with an agent of a company in person. In Oregon and Texas the state runs the application. Once approved, you pick an approved company in your area, listed by ZIP code on the Lifeline companies page, and it enrolls you.
This order matters for your privacy: the National Verifier asks for the last four digits of your Social Security number and your date of birth to confirm your identity, and that is normal on the official system. A website that collects them for a phone giveaway is not the National Verifier. The scams page lists the warning signs drawn from the FCC rules.
What can end the benefit
Three rules catch people out. A free plan must be used at least once every 30 days, by a call, a text, data or answering a call; after that the company sends a 15-day notice before ending service. Every year your eligibility is checked again: many households pass an automatic database check, the others get 60 days to answer, explained on the recertification page. And if your situation changes, for example your income rises or you stop receiving the benefit, you must tell your company. The checker at the top gives the figures for your household; the step-by-step guide shows the application from start to finish.