Lifeline Income Limits Understand the 135% Rule.
Lifeline does not use one income limit for everyone. The amount changes with household size and location. Use this guide to find the current income threshold, understand where the number comes from, and avoid comparing your income with the wrong figure.
Official eligibility is determined separately.
There is no single Lifeline income limit. Household size and location change the number.
Estimate your current Lifeline income threshold.
Choose where you live and the number of people in your Lifeline household. The checker uses the current 135% income figures shown in the official Lifeline eligibility table.
Your household income generally needs to be at or below the applicable annual figure to use the standard Lifeline income route.
Lifeline income limits by household size.
| Household size |
48 contiguous states, D.C. & territories |
Alaska | Hawaii |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $21,546 | $26,933 | $24,786 |
| 2 people | $29,214 | $36,518 | $33,602 |
| 3 people | $36,882 | $46,103 | $42,417 |
| 4 people | $44,550 | $55,688 | $51,233 |
| 5 people | $52,218 | $65,273 | $60,048 |
| 6 people | $59,886 | $74,858 | $68,864 |
| 7 people | $67,554 | $84,443 | $77,679 |
| 8 people | $75,222 | $94,028 | $86,495 |
| Each additional person | + $7,668 | + $9,585 | + $8,816 |
The page URL can remain permanent, but the dollar amounts should be refreshed when federal poverty guidelines change.
What does 135% actually mean?
The federal government publishes a base poverty guideline for each household size. Lifeline’s standard income route uses 135% of that applicable guideline.
In other words, the Lifeline number is not invented by a phone company and it is not a flat dollar amount chosen for every household.
Alaska and Hawaii have different limits.
Federal poverty guidelines use separate figures for Alaska and Hawaii. That difference carries through to Lifeline’s 135% income thresholds.
48 contiguous states, D.C. and territories
Most Lifeline applicants use this column when comparing household income with the current limit.
Alaska
Alaska uses a higher poverty guideline, so the corresponding Lifeline income limits are also different.
Hawaii
Hawaii also has its own poverty guideline and should not be compared with the standard 48-state column.
Counting people correctly matters as much as counting income.
Lifeline’s household rule focuses on people who live together and share income and expenses.
That means an address by itself does not always tell you how many Lifeline households exist there.
One person living alone
Household size is generally one for a person who lives alone and is applying based on their own income.
Family sharing income and expenses
People who live together and operate as one financial household generally need to consider the applicable household size rather than only one person’s income.
Roommates with separate finances
Adults can live at the same address without automatically being one Lifeline household when they do not share income and expenses.
Use the household definition that actually applies to your living and financial arrangement.
Income is one route, not the only route.
Some households qualify for Lifeline because they participate in an eligible assistance program. Others qualify because household income is within the applicable limit.
If a valid program-based route already applies, the income table may not be the part of Lifeline eligibility you need to rely on.
See all Lifeline qualification routes →SNAP, Medicaid, SSI and other qualifying routes can establish eligibility.
Compare annual household income with the current 135% threshold.
What can be used to show income?
Additional proof may be requested if eligibility cannot be confirmed through the normal verification process.
Prior-year tax return
A qualifying prior-year federal, state, or Tribal tax return can help document annual income.
Employer income statement
A current annual income statement from an employer can be relevant when income verification is needed.
Benefits statement
Certain official Social Security, unemployment, workers’ compensation, or similar benefit statements may document income.
Consecutive income records
Official records showing income for three consecutive months can sometimes be used when the required annual income can be established from them.
Current Lifeline guidance says income evidence should identify the applicant or dependent, show annual income, and include a sufficiently recent issue date.
The survivor pathway can use a different income threshold.
The standard Lifeline income route uses 135% of the applicable Federal Poverty Guidelines. Qualifying survivors using Lifeline’s emergency survivor pathway may have access to broader criteria, including an income route at or below 200% of the applicable guidelines.
That special pathway has its own conditions and should not be confused with the ordinary Lifeline income test.
Other survivor-specific qualification options may also apply under the current Lifeline rules.
Five ways the wrong income limit gets used.
Using an old year’s table
Federal poverty guidelines are updated over time. A table from an older article may no longer match the current Lifeline application.
Comparing Alaska or Hawaii with the standard column
These locations use separate poverty guidelines and therefore have different Lifeline income limits.
Looking only at one person’s paycheck
The relevant question is household income under the applicable program rules, not simply whichever paycheck is easiest to see.
Counting everyone at the address automatically
Lifeline’s household concept considers whether people living together also share income and expenses.
Using the income test when a program route already applies
SNAP, Medicaid, SSI and other qualifying assistance programs can provide a separate eligibility route.
Being below the income limit does not guarantee a free device.
Lifeline lowers the cost of qualifying phone or internet service. A tablet, phone, laptop, or specific iPhone depends on a separate device offer and its current terms.
Lifeline Income Limit FAQs
What percentage of the poverty guidelines does Lifeline use? +
The standard Lifeline income route currently uses household income at or below 135% of the applicable Federal Poverty Guidelines.
Is there one income limit for the entire United States? +
No. The amount changes according to household size, and Alaska and Hawaii use separate guideline amounts.
Why do Lifeline income limits change? +
The underlying federal poverty guidelines are periodically updated. When the applicable guidelines change, the dollar amounts used for Lifeline’s percentage-based income route can also change.
What is the current income limit for one person? +
For the current 2026 table, the standard 48-state, D.C. and territories figure for a one-person household is $21,546. Alaska and Hawaii have different amounts.
What is the income limit for a family of four? +
Under the current 2026 figures, a four-person household uses $44,550 in the standard 48-state, D.C. and territories column, $55,688 in Alaska, and $51,233 in Hawaii.
What if my household has more than eight people? +
An additional amount is added for every person beyond eight. The current add-on differs between the standard column, Alaska, and Hawaii.
Do I need to qualify through income if I receive SNAP? +
SNAP is a separate program-based Lifeline qualification route. Income is another route rather than a requirement that every applicant must use.
Does Medicaid provide another Lifeline eligibility route? +
Yes. Medicaid participation is one of the current program-based routes to Lifeline eligibility.
Does being under the income limit guarantee a free tablet or phone? +
No. Meeting the income requirement can support Lifeline eligibility, but a particular device is a separate provider or organization offer.
Is the survivor income limit also 135%? +
Lifeline’s special emergency survivor pathway can use broader eligibility criteria, including an income threshold at or below 200% of the applicable Federal Poverty Guidelines for qualifying survivors.
Household size first. Income limit second.
Before deciding whether the income route fits your household, confirm the current year, the correct location column, your household size, and whether you already qualify through an eligible assistance program.
Explore Tablets Gov Free →