Minnesota Administrative Rules

7817.0400 ELIGIBILITY FOR TELEPHONE ASSISTANCE CREDITS.

Subpart 1.

Information provided.

Each local service provider shall annually mail a notice of the availability of the telephone assistance plan to each residential subscriber in a regular billing. If a subscriber has chosen to receive the regular billing other than through U.S. mail, the local service provider shall send the notice in a regular billing using the delivery method chosen by the subscriber for delivery of the regular billing. The notice must state the following: YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR ASSISTANCE IN PAYING YOUR TELEPHONE BILL IF YOU RECEIVE BENEFITS FROM CERTAIN LOW-INCOME ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS OR MEET CERTAIN INCOME LIMITS. FOR MORE INFORMATION OR AN APPLICATION FORM PLEASE CONTACT ................ On request, the local service provider shall mail to a person an application form developed by the commission and the Department of Commerce, and a brochure that describes the telephone assistance plan's eligibility requirements and application process.

Subp. 2.

Application process.

On completing and signing the application certifying under penalty of perjury that the information provided by the applicant is true and that the statutory criteria for eligibility are satisfied, the applicant must return it to the local service provider for enrollment in the telephone assistance plan. An application may be made by the subscriber, the subscriber's spouse, or a person authorized by the subscriber to act on the subscriber's behalf.

Subp. 3.

[Repealed, 34 SR 818]

Subp. 4.

Eligibility criteria.

To be eligible for a telephone assistance credit the applicant must:

A.

be a subscriber who resides in Minnesota or has moved to Minnesota and intends to remain; and

B.

be eligible for the federal Lifeline telephone service discount.

Subp. 5.

[Repealed, 34 SR 818]

Subp. 6.

[Repealed, 34 SR 818]

Subp. 7.

Applicant and recipient responsibilities.

Each applicant and each recipient shall provide current information to the local service provider about permanent changes that affect the applicant's or recipient's eligibility.

Subp. 8.

Local service provider responsibilities.

A.

A local service provider shall begin providing telephone assistance credits to an applicant in the earliest possible billing cycle but not later than the second billing cycle following the submission of a completed application demonstrating eligibility. If certified, the local service provider shall notify the applicant by, for example, placing telephone assistance credits on the bill.

B.

If an applicant is denied eligibility, the local service provider shall notify the applicant in writing of the reasons for the denial, of the right to appeal, and of the right to reapply.

Subp. 9.

[Repealed, 34 SR 818]

Statutory Authority:

MS s 237.10; 237.69 to 237.711

History:

12 SR 1256; 13 SR 2283; L 2003 1Sp14 art 1 s 106; 34 SR 818

Published Electronically:

December 15, 2009