Programs to help families in need pay their telephone bills State approves new and expanded programs to help families in need pay their telephone bills Indiana regulators have approved a new program, called Lifeline, and expanded an existing program, called Link-Up, as part of implementing federal telecommunications reforms passed in 1996. The following information has been provided by the Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor.
Benefits are only available for one residential telephone service line per eligible household.
If you cannot pay all of your phone bill at once, the payments you do make will be used to pay local phone charges first. Any remaining amounts will be applied to long distance and other toll charges. You can request toll blocking to prevent long distance and other toll calls from being made from or billed to your home. If you request toll blocking, you can avoid paying a deposit for local telephone service. If you have toll blocking, you would have to use prepaid long distance calling cards or make other direct billing arrangements with long distance carriers in order to make long distance or other toll calls from your home or charge them to your residence.