Lifeline Recertification

All customers receiving Lifeline benefits must recertify their eligibility once per year to continue receiving their free phone service.

We recommend you respond to recertification requests promptly to avoid losing your benefits and keep your current mobile phone number.

To recertify your Lifeline eligibility, you will only need your unique application ID (mailed to you by USAC, and communicated through texts from enTouch Wireless) and to confirm personal information such as the last four numbers of your social security number, your name, address, etc.

If you do not know your Application ID, you can call the Lifeline Support Center at (800) 234-9473 Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET

Each subscriber will have 60 days to complete the recertification of their Lifeline eligibility.

If you do not complete recertification by the deadline, your Lifeline service will be transferred to prepaid, and you will no longer receive free talk, text, and/or data each month. If you are still eligible to apply for Lifeline service, you can re-enroll with enTouch Wireless.

Your unique application ID can be found on the mailed renewal sent to you by the Lifeline administrator, USAC. It will also be sent to you in text message reminders from enTouch Wireless.

If you did not receive your Application ID, you can call the Lifeline Support Center at (800) 234-9473 Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET

No. The FCC offers no exceptions to the Lifeline recertification rule. To keep receiving benefits from the Lifeline program, annual recertification is required. All subscribers will receive a letter to recertify annually. Some states have state-wide databases of Lifeline subscribers accessible to Eligible Telecommunications Carriers (ETCs). A consumer may not be required to recertify manually if he or she resides in one of these states. Lifeline administrators can recertify you via one of these universal databases.

The Lifeline Program requires that you renew or recertify your continued eligibility for your Lifeline benefit annually.  If you want to continue to receive a discounted rate from participating providers, Lifeline recertification must be completed on time every year. 

FCC rules state that all participating mobile carriers must check the eligibility of their Lifeline subscribers annually. Failure to do so means we must discontinue your Lifeline cell service. If you are de-enrolled from the process, you may be unable to keep your existing number if you attempt to enroll in the Lifeline program later. That’s why it’s essential to prepare proof documentation and sign up for the phone or internet service with your provider before the de-enrollment deadline.

No. If you do not require additional documentation, you can use any method. We recommend the phone method, as it is the easiest and fastest and provides an immediate result!

If you’re required to submit eligibility documentation, you will not be able to use the Renew by Phone method.

The quickest way to recertify is by phone, which takes less than 10 minutes. Simply call 855-359-4299 and follow the prompts.

The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) letter and notification text messages will provide your Application ID and indicate if you are required to submit additional documentation for recertification. However, if you are unsure or don’t have your letter, you can also use the starting letter of your Application ID. Application IDs starting with the letter “D” will require eligibility documentation and can only be use online or by mail options.

Call the Lifeline Support Center at (800) 234-9473 Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.

We recommend recertifying by phone. Simply call (855) 359-4299 and follow the prompts. It is the easiest and quickest and will provide you with immediate confirmation of successful/unsuccessful recertification.

Need another copy of the form? Download the Lifeline Recertification Form Here.

Please return completed Recertification Forms to:
USAC
Lifeline Support Center
PO Box 1000
Horseheads, NY 14845

Customers who recertify using the automated phone option will receive immediate confirmation of recertification status. You may continue to receive reminder texts from enTouch Wireless for 3-5 business days following this confirmation until your recertification status is up-to-date in our system. We also send a confirmation text message when your recertification credit is applied to your account. For mailed/paper Lifeline certification form submissions, you will only receive notifications from the Lifeline Administrator if you are NOT successfully recertified. This will happen at the end of your recertification window. Contact the Lifeline Support line at (800) 234-9473 to see if your application was accepted/denied. It may take 2-3 weeks to receive an updated response when you mailed your form. Hours of operation are Monday through Sunday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET.

If you completed your Lifeline program recertification by phone or online, it may take 5-7 business days for enTouch Wireless to get confirmation from the Lifeline Administrator about a completed recertification status. Mailed recertification submissions will take much longer to confirm. Still, you can call the Lifeline Support line at (800) 234-9473 if you have inquiries about your recertification application status, and you should disregard further text reminders unless you are notified that your application was denied or not received. If you recertified by phone or online and are still receiving text reminders about recertification, your recertification may not have been successful.