Lifeline Providers Urge CPUC to Keep Suspending Non-Usage Rule
Keep California LifeLine’s non-usage de-enrollment rule aligned with the FCC rule, urged the National Lifeline Association in comments received Wednesday by the California Public Utilities Commission. The CPUC is weighing in docket R.20-02-008 if it should continue suspending a rule…
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to de-enroll participants after 30 days of non-usage during the pandemic, due to rising costs. "While re-imposing the 30-day non-usage rule would be harmful to consumers during the COVID-19 crisis, NaLA asserts that both the California LifeLine and the federal Lifeline programs should not continue to provide reimbursements for subscribers that have not used the service for more than 180 days and are therefore unlikely to come back and use the service,” it said. Citing rising costs, the CPUC Public Advocates Office supported ending suspension of the rule while letting de-enrolled participants easily re-enroll. California has over half a million wireless participants who receive the monthly LifeLine subsidy but show “non-usage of their LifeLine service in the last 30 days or more,” costing the program $7.3 million per month, it said. The Utility Reform Network and Center for Accessible Technology support suspending non-usage and renewal rules, saying “these LifeLine protections have been in place much longer than anticipated,” costing ratepayers millions.