Dillingham2023Nushagak

Information Guide

Lifeline & Linkup Do you need a phone? Are you having trouble paying your telephone bills? If so, you may be eligible to take advantage of two special programs that help reduce the cost of phone service. Lifeline Assistance and Linkup can assist qualified members to receive phone service and pay their bills. Lifeline and Linkup assistance is provided to Nushagak Cooperative’s low-income residential members who meet the following criteria for assistance. The applicant must be a member with Nushagak Cooperative with telephone service and must reside at the location for which the telephone service is provided. The assistance applies to single line residential service only. The applicant must meet the eligibility criteria established by the FCC and RCA to qualify for such support. The qualifying Nushagak Cooperative member will complete and sign an application form that specifies the program that he/she is receiving that qualifies them for the Lifeline & Linkup program. The Nushagak member also agrees to notify Nushagak Coop erative if he/she ceases to participate in the qualifying program or programs. Nushagak reserves the right to verify or request verification of participation in the qualifying program or programs the member designates.

You may be qualified if your household income is no more than 135 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines or if you participate in any of the following programs: • Medicaid • Food Stamp - Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) • Supplemental Security Income (SSI) • Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA) • Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefits • Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance • Tribally Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF) • Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) • Tribal Head Start (only households that meet the income qualifying standard) Lifeline Assistance will help qualified members who already have telephone service save a significant amount of money on their monthly phone bills, while Linkup helps eligible members receive a generous discount on the installation of telephone service in their homes. Also, consumers can voluntarily forego presubscribed long distance telephone service by requesting toll-blocking, a service that prevents toll calls (such as long distance) from being made and prevents these consumers from paying hefty service deposits. Members using this service can still use pre-paid calling cards to place long distance calls from their homes.

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