Laurens Municipal Broadband Communications Utility
Lifeline Terms and Conditions

Laurens Municipal Broadband Communications Utility (the “Company”) offers Lifeline program-supported service to qualified low-income residential consumers. The Lifeline Assistance Program provides discounts to eligible low-income consumers to help them establish and maintain telephone service or broadband internet access service. Lifeline assistance lowers the cost of basic, monthly local telephone or broadband internet service. Eligible consumers can receive $9.25 per month in discounts. In addition, the Federal Universal Service Charge is not assessed to consumers participating in Lifeline. Toll blocking prevents the placement of all long distance calls for which a subscriber would be charged. Toll blocking is available to eligible consumers at no cost. Also, by choosing this option, consumers are usually not charged a deposit.

Lifeline Assistance applications are available at the LMPC offices during regular business hours.

Lifeline Program Eligibility Information

Lifeline applicants must present documentation demonstrating eligibility either through participation in one of the qualifying assistance programs or through income-based means.

Program-Based Eligibility

Consumers are eligible for Lifeline if they, one of their dependents or their household participate in one of the following qualifying assistance programs:

• Medicaid
• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Federal Public Housing Assistance
• Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit

Acceptable documentation of program eligibility includes the current or prior year’s statement of benefits from a qualifying assistance program, a notice, letter, or documents of participation in a qualifying assistance program, or another official document demonstrating that you, or one or more of your dependents, or your household receives benefits from a qualifying assistance program.

Income-Based Eligibility

In addition, consumers are eligible for Lifeline if their household income is at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines.

2019 Federal Poverty Guidelines – 135%

Household Size                                            48 Contiguous States and D.C.                           
1                                                                                                    $16,862                                                                    
2                                                                                                   $22,829                                                                   
3                                                                                                   $28,796                                                                     
4                                                                                                   $34,763                                                                     
5                                                                                                   $40,730                                                                   
6                                                                                                   $46,697                                                                     
7                                                                                                   $52,664                                                                      
8                                                                                                   $58,631                                                                       
For each additional person, add                              $   5,967                                                                        

Acceptable documentation of income eligibility includes: prior year’s federal or state income tax return; current annual income statement from an employer; paycheck stubs for most recent three (3) consecutive months; social security statement of benefits; Veterans Administration statement of benefits; retirement or pension statement of benefits; unemployment or workmen’s compensation statement of benefits; Letter of participation in general assistance; or a divorce decree or child support.

Numbers of Minutes-of-Use Provided as Part of Lifeline Program Service

The Company’s Voice Lifeline service includes unlimited local minutes-of-use within the toll-free calling area. The Company’s Voice Lifeline Plan does not include any free minutes-of-use for toll. Toll is billed at the standard toll rate depending on which interexchange carrier the consumer subscribes to for toll service. As part of the Lifeline service, Toll Blocking is available to eligible consumers at no cost.

Rates

Subscribers may receive the Lifeline credit on any type or grade of local service, including bundled services that are normally offered by the Company. Advertised rates do not include any applicable taxes or surcharges.

Residential Phone Line: $10.00 a month
LMPC Long Distance: $0.12 per minute
LMPC Unlimited Long Distance: $15.00 a month

Recertification of Lifeline Eligibility

Lifeline recipients are required to recertify their eligibility annually. Failure to properly recertify a recipient’s continued eligibility for the Lifeline program will result in termination of the Lifeline recipient’s monthly Lifeline discount and de-enrollment from the Lifeline Program.

Additional Lifeline Program Information

The Lifeline program is limited to one benefit per household, consisting of either wireline or wireless telephone service or broadband Internet access service. A household is defined, for purposes of the Lifeline program, as an individual or group of individuals who live together at the same address and share income and expenses. Lifeline is a government benefit program, and consumers who willfully make false statements in order to obtain the benefit can be punished by fine or imprisonment or can be barred from the program.