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Check Your Eligibility

Step 1: Check Your Eligibility

You qualify if you participate in the following programs:

SNAP, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Section8 Veterans' Pension or if your household income is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.

Bring Unlocked Smartphone

Step 2: Gather Your Documents

  • Your Photo ID (Driver’s License or State ID).
  • Proof of Program (SNAP, Medicaid, Vet. Pension Award Letter).
  • Income Based: Last 3 consecutive Pay Stubs.

Step 3: The agent will file your application on location.

Once approved, The agent will install your free SIM card and activate it.

  • Third-Party Identity Verification (TPIV),
  • USPS Address Matching Service (AMS), and
  • Data checks for duplicate benefits for the same person or the same address.

Income Eligibility Table (2026 Guidelines)

Household Size         Max Annual Income (135% of Poverty Level)

1 Person                     $21,128

2 People                     $28,553

3 People                     $35,978

4 People                     $43,403

For each additional person, add $7,425

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National Verifier Approval Process

The Lifeline National Verifier (NV) is a centralized system that verifies eligibility for the Lifeline program.

How it works
The NV checks a consumer's identity, address, income, and participation in qualifying government programs. It also verifies that the consumer complies with the one benefit per household limit.

  1. Consumer Identification: When we enroll a consumer and the information we receive from the consumer doesn't exactly match the information in the Nation Verifier's centralized system, the NV will send us an error message saying one of the following: "We do not recognize your information" or "We do not recognize your SSN." The consumer must provide an unexpired State ID or SS card. We then send these documents to the NV for verification.

  2. Eligibility Verification: Once the consumer's identity is verified, the next step is verifying their eligibility. If the consumer's eligibility status is not found in the NV centralized system, an error message will be sent saying, "We cannot confirm that you qualify." The consumer will then, have to provide a copy of the award letter for the program that they were enrolled under. A SNAP approval document or proof of benefits can be accessed through a state or local agency.

Maryland
You can access your case correspondence by logging into your Maryland DHS account at myMDTHINK Programs & Services Portal. You can also contact SNAP in Maryland by calling ( 800) 332-6347. I tell the consumer to go to DHS and get a copy of the letter.
Veterans
Veterans or Survivors who receive the Veterans Pension can go to va.gov, and log in to access their award letter.