Lifeline Income Limits: 2026 Household Income Chart
The 2026 Lifeline income limits allow a household to qualify when its gross household income is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Your exact annual limit depends on household size and whether you live in the lower 48 states and territories, Alaska or Hawaii.
Income qualification can establish Lifeline eligibility, but it does not by itself guarantee a tablet. See our free government tablet guide for the difference between eligibility and an actual device offer.
Lifeline income eligibility is set at 135% of the poverty guidelines
A household may qualify for standard Lifeline based on income when its gross household income is at or below the applicable limit. The federal poverty guideline itself is updated each year, which means the Lifeline dollar limits can also change annually.
Understand Lifeline free tablet offers →The percentage stays central to the standard income-based Lifeline rule, while the dollar amount changes according to household size and the current Federal Poverty Guidelines.
2026 Lifeline income limits by household size
These are annual gross household income limits. Alaska and Hawaii have higher thresholds than the 48 contiguous states, District of Columbia and territories.
How to use this chart: find your household size, choose the correct location column, and compare your annual gross household income with that figure. Income at or below the listed amount can meet the standard income-based Lifeline requirement.
| Household size | 48 Contiguous States, D.C. & Territories | Alaska | Hawaii |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 person | $21,546 | $26,933 | $24,786 |
| 2 people | $29,214 | $36,518 | $33,602 |
| 3 people | $36,882 | $46,103 | $42,417 |
| 4 people | $44,550 | $55,688 | $51,233 |
| 5 people | $52,218 | $65,273 | $60,048 |
| 6 people | $59,886 | $74,858 | $68,864 |
| 7 people | $67,554 | $84,443 | $77,679 |
| 8 people | $75,222 | $94,028 | $86,495 |
| Each additional person | Add $7,668 | Add $9,585 | Add $8,816 |
How to check your Lifeline income limit
Determine your Lifeline household
Count the people who belong to the same economic household under Lifeline’s shared-income and shared-expense rule.
Choose the correct location column
Use the main column for the 48 contiguous states, D.C. and territories, or the separate Alaska or Hawaii column when applicable.
Compare annual gross household income
Your household’s qualifying annual income must be at or below the figure shown for that household size and location.
Do not stop at the income calculation
Meeting an income threshold establishes a potential Lifeline qualification route. The eligibility process still needs to confirm the information.
Who counts in a Lifeline household?
Lifeline does not simply treat everyone living at one address as one household. The program looks at whether people living together share income and household expenses.
More than one economic household can sometimes live at the same residential address.
People who live together and share income and household expenses are generally treated as one Lifeline household.
Roommates or other adults who do not share income and expenses can sometimes be treated as separate households.
The standard program rule generally permits one Lifeline-supported benefit for each qualifying household.
The limit is based on gross household income
USAC describes the income test using gross household income. Do not compare the chart only with the amount of money that reaches a checking account after payroll deductions.
Annual household income
Use the annual income information required by the Lifeline application and compare it with the correct annual threshold in the table.
Take-home pay is the Lifeline threshold
Net pay after taxes or other deductions is not the wording used in the standard Lifeline income rule.
Income may need to be documented
If available data cannot establish income eligibility, additional proof can be requested during verification.
You may qualify for Lifeline without using the income limit
The Lifeline income limits matter when you are using income as your qualification route. Participation in certain government assistance programs can provide a separate program-based route.
SNAP
Participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program can establish Lifeline eligibility without separately proving that household income falls below the table.
Medicaid
Medicaid participation is another recognized program-based Lifeline qualification route.
SSI or Federal Public Housing Assistance
Supplemental Security Income and Federal Public Housing Assistance are also qualifying programs.
Veterans and qualifying Tribal programs
Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit and specified Tribal programs can provide other recognized qualification pathways.
Do Lifeline income limits qualify you for a free government tablet?
Meeting the Lifeline income requirement can help establish eligibility for Lifeline-supported service. It does not require the federal government or every participating provider to give you a free tablet.
Income can qualify you. The provider controls the tablet offer.
After eligibility is established, you still need to determine whether a provider serving your location currently has a free or discounted tablet, what the device costs, and what service or fulfillment terms apply.
Lifeline income limit examples
These examples show how to read the current table. They do not replace the eligibility decision made during the Lifeline verification process.
One-person household
A one-person household using the standard column can meet the income route when annual gross household income is at or below $21,546.
Four-person household
A four-person household in the main geographic category can meet the standard income requirement at or below $44,550 annually.
Four-person household
The comparable limit is higher in Alaska, showing why applicants should use the correct location column rather than a generic national number.
Lifeline income limits are updated each year
HHS updates the Federal Poverty Guidelines annually. Lifeline then applies its standard percentage to the current figures, so an old income table can become inaccurate even when the 135% rule itself has not changed.
Check the year
An older search result may still show last year’s household income thresholds.
Check household size
The limit rises as the number of people in the qualifying household increases.
Check Alaska and Hawaii separately
Both states use different poverty guideline figures and therefore different Lifeline income limits.
Verify before applying
Use the current official threshold rather than relying on a figure copied from an older tablet advertisement.
Check the official Lifeline income eligibility table
USAC publishes the current income thresholds, qualifying-program routes and household rule for Lifeline. Because the poverty guidelines change annually, check the official table when applying in a future year.
Lifeline Income Limits FAQs
What is the Lifeline income limit in 2026?
Standard income-based Lifeline eligibility is available when gross household income is at or below 135% of the 2026 Federal Poverty Guidelines. The exact dollar limit depends on household size and whether the household is in the main geographic category, Alaska or Hawaii.
What is the 2026 Lifeline limit for one person?
For a one-person household, the annual limit is $21,546 in the 48 contiguous states, District of Columbia and territories; $26,933 in Alaska; and $24,786 in Hawaii.
What is the Lifeline income limit for a family of four?
For four people, the 2026 annual limit is $44,550 in the 48 contiguous states, D.C. and territories, $55,688 in Alaska, and $51,233 in Hawaii.
Is Lifeline based on gross or net income?
USAC states the standard income requirement in terms of gross household income. Applicants should follow the income instructions used by the Lifeline eligibility process rather than comparing the table only with take-home pay.
Do SNAP recipients have to meet the Lifeline income limit?
SNAP is already a recognized Lifeline qualifying program. A household qualifying through SNAP can use the program-participation route rather than relying solely on the income route.
Does Medicaid qualify without using the income chart?
Medicaid is also a recognized Lifeline qualifying program, so current Medicaid participation can provide a program-based route to Lifeline eligibility.
Do Lifeline income limits change every year?
The underlying Federal Poverty Guidelines are updated annually, so the dollar amounts used for Lifeline income eligibility can change from one year to the next.
Does meeting the income limit guarantee a free tablet?
No. Meeting the income limit can establish Lifeline eligibility, but Lifeline is a phone and internet service benefit. A free tablet or discounted device depends on a separate provider or assistance offer.
What if more than eight people live in my household?
For each additional person above eight, add $7,668 in the 48 contiguous states, D.C. and territories, $9,585 in Alaska, or $8,816 in Hawaii to the applicable annual limit.
Income can establish eligibility. It does not guarantee the tablet.
Compare your household with the current Lifeline income limits, complete eligibility verification, and then separately check whether a provider has a legitimate free tablet offer available where you live.
