Flaws in the “One-Per-Household” Lifeline worksheet and the Universal Service...
Flaws in the “One-Per-Household” Lifeline worksheet and the Universal Service Administrative Co. pre-screening tool will lead some eligible Lifeline beneficiaries to conclude they're ineligible, General Communication Inc. told the FCC in a letter Monday (http://xrl.us/bnbhkd). The worksheet and tool incorrectly…
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inform a prospective Lifeline subscriber they're ineligible whenever they share income and expenses with at least one other adult at their residence, and when at least one other adult at their residence already receives Lifeline benefits. This is “not always the case,” GCI said. “The Worksheet fails to contemplate the possibility that the prospective subscriber shares income and expenses with one adult at his or her residence, while a third adult, with whom the prospective subscriber does not share income and expenses, is a Lifeline subscriber,” the Alaskan cable operator and telco explained. “In this case, the residence has at least two households, but the prospective subscriber’s household does not include any other Lifeline subscribers and thus the prospective subscriber is eligible for Lifeline.” An eligible telecom carrier using those forms “runs the risk of denying Lifeline service to a qualifying low-income consumer, in violation of Lifeline rules,” GCI said, asking the commission to direct USAC to implement fixes. GCI said it plans to use its own modified version of the worksheet that corrects the flaw.