PSC Garners Support for Lifeline Awareness Week
CONTACT: (850) 413-6482
PSC Garners Support for Lifeline Awareness Week
TALLAHASSEE — With National Lifeline Awareness Week (LAW) approaching, Florida’s Public Service Commission (PSC) today buoyed its essential grassroots support from social service agencies whose clients benefit from the federal Lifeline Assistance Program (Lifeline) and state agencies facilitating Lifeline’s promotion and application process.
Administered by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), Lifeline provides a monthly bill credit for basic phone service. To curb program abuse, Lifeline underwent FCC rule changes this year that limit benefits to one per eligible household, with annual recertification required to continue receiving the benefit. Today’s PSC workshop focused on ways to ensure that consumers enrolling in Lifeline are not already receiving the service.
“‘With a little help from my friends,’ as the song says, we appreciate those agencies helping us avoid duplicative services to ensure that the Lifeline program benefits even more eligible Floridians,” said PSC Chairman Ronald Brisé. “Florida was one of two states recognized by the FCC last year for leadership in identifying and eliminating program fraud.”
Agencies attending the Workshop included: United Way of the Big Bend, Tallahassee Housing Authority, Agency for Health Care Administration, Florida Departments of Children and Families, Economic Opportunity, Education, Elder Affairs, and Health, Florida Telecommunications Relay, Inc., 2-1-1 Big Bend, AARP, WORKFORCEplus, Tallahassee Urban League, Tallahassee Caribbean Association, and Office of Public Counsel.
Now in its fourth year, LAW events will be held throughout Florida on September 10-14 to help seniors and low-income Floridians learn about and apply for the program.
The FCC, the National Association of Regulated Utility Commissioners, and the National Association of State Utility Consumer Advocates are supporting this year’s National Lifeline Awareness Week. For more information, visit www.floridapsc.com, www.lifeline.gov, and www.naruc.org.
Follow the PSC on Twitter, @floridapsc.
###
Tweet
