California Lifeline

California Lifeline: How To Qualify

1. Program-Based

You can qualify for California LifeLine if you or another person in your household is enrolled in any one of the following public-assistance programs:

• Medicaid/Medi-Cal
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Federal Public Housing Assistance or Section 8
• CalFresh, Food Stamps or Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Federal Veteran’s and Survivor Pension Benefits
• Women, Infants and Children Program (WIC)
• National School Lunch Program (NSL)
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
  • California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs)
  • Stanislaus County Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (StanWORKs)
  • Welfare-to-Work (WTW)
  • Greater Avenues for Independence (GAIN)
• Tribal TANF
• Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
• Head Start Income Eligible (Tribal Only)
• Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

2. Income-Based

You can qualify for California LifeLine if your household’s total annual gross income is at or less than these annual income limits:

1. Front page only of prior year’s state (540, 540A, 540 2EZ, 540NR, or 540X), federal (1040, 1040A, 1040EZ, 1040NR, 1040NR-EZ, 1040SS, or 1040X), or tribal tax return,
2. Income statements or paycheck stubs for 3 consecutive months within the past 12 months,
3. Statement of benefits from Social Security, Veterans Administration, retirement/pension, Unemployment Compensation, and/or Workmen’s Compensation,
4. Alimony and/or child support documents, and/or
5. Other official documents.