FCC aims to ensure "only living and lawful Americans" get Lifeline benefits

January 31, 2026

TL;DR

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr proposes new nationwide Lifeline eligibility rules to prevent payments to deceased individuals.
Carr alleges that California has been giving Lifeline benefits to dead people, leading to significant waste and fraud.
California officials state that improper payments are due to administrative lag time between a death and account closure, not enrollment failures.
The FCC plans to vote on rule changes that include requiring full Social Security numbers and using federal verification programs.
An FCC Inspector General report found nearly $5 million in federal dollars were paid to Lifeline providers for over 116,000 deceased subscribers, with over 80% in California.
The report also indicated that at least 16,774 deceased individuals were enrolled and claimed by a provider after their deaths.
A Democratic FCC commissioner, Anna Gomez, criticizes Carr's proposal as overly punitive and likely to exclude eligible households.
Gomez suggests the plan may be politically motivated and could turn essential connectivity into a political tool.
Carr argues that eliminating fraud will help lower phone bill charges for consumers.

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