Consumer Tip for October 2004
Do you know someone without a telephone? Is phone service more than they can afford?
Do you know there is help for many customers to get phone service, or to help some customers keep their phone service? If you qualify for Lifeline 150, which can pay up to $8.25 per month towards your local phone bill, you may also qualify for other helpful telephone programs.
| Need Help? | Name of TelephoneCompany | Program That Can Help |
| Paying a monthly local phone bill | All PA local telephone companies | Lifeline 150 |
| Paying a monthly local phone bill | Verizon PA and Verizon North | Lifeline |
| Getting phone service connected | All PA local telephone companies | Link-Up America |
| Paying overdue bills | Verizon PA | Universal Telephone Assistance Program (UTAP) |
You may qualify for Lifeline 150 if you take part in one of the following programs:
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
General Assistance (GA)
Food Stamps
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Programs (LIHEAP)
Medicaid
Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8)
State Blind Pension (Accepted by some companies)
You must also have a household yearly income of that shown in the following table, or less.
| Household Size | Yearly Income |
| 1 | $13,965 |
| 2 | $18,735 |
| 3 | $23,505 |
| 4 | $28,275 |
Once you qualify for Lifeline 150, there is one more thing to keep in mind. In order to get the monthly payment, customers may only have one non-basic service on their monthly bill, such as: Caller ID, Call Waiting, Call Forwarding, Voice Mail, Identi-call, etc.
Your telephone company may require a different combination of income or program participation to qualify. For more information about Lifeline 150 and other helpful programs contact your local telephone company’s customer service department. Some of their toll-free numbers are listed below.
| ALLTEL | 1-800-501-1754 |
| North Pittsburgh Telephone Company | 1-800-541-9225 |
| Sprint | 1-800-829-8009 |
| Verizon North (former GTE Company) | 1-800-483-4000 |
| Verizon-PA (former Bell Company) | 1-800-640-4155 |
If you have any questions or concerns about your utility service, you may also contact the PA Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) at 1-800-684-6560.
