If you receive a qualifying VA pension, VA and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) are making it easier for you to get connected to the internet.
Qualifying VA pension recipients will now be able to more easily confirm their eligibility to participate in two FCC benefit programs (Lifeline and the Affordable Connectivity Program), often without needing to submit paperwork to the FCC.
This makes it even easier for qualifying Veterans to get discounts on internet and phone services. Certain service providers may also offer a subsidized device, like a laptop or tablet, to qualifying Affordable Connectivity Program participants.
Discounts to help Veterans get online
These FCC programs help people get online. The Lifeline program gives eligible households a discount for internet and phone services. The Affordable Connectivity Program provides eligible households with a monthly discount toward internet service.
They offer a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from a participating provider if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price of the device.
Veterans can sign up for the programs through the FCC National Verifier or by contacting a participating internet service company. Veterans who want assistance signing up for the FCC’s programs can get help from their VA care team through a Digital Divide consult.
Other Veterans can also receive benefits
Along with qualifying VA pension recipients, other Veterans are also eligible for Lifeline and the Affordable Connectivity Program. You can qualify based on your household income or participation in other federal programs, though you may need to submit additional paperwork as part of the application process.
To see if you qualify, visit the Lifeline or Affordable Connectivity Program websites.
VA can also help you to determine your eligibility through your VA care team and a Digital Divide Consult. The Digital Divide Consult helps connect Veterans with Lifeline, the Affordable Connectivity Program, and other programs to help with internet access.
VA has already helped more than 100,000 Veterans across the country through the Digital Divide Consult process.
If you want assistance getting internet access so you can connect with loved ones, online resources, or your VA services, VA wants to help you.
Learn more about how VA is working to bridge the digital divide.
Topics in this story
More Stories
William Snow, senior program specialist at HUD, explains how the Point-in-Time Count provides valuable data on Veteran homelessness.
Gratitude is a light that shines through life’s ups and downs. Embrace gratitude this holiday season in just five minutes for this week's #LiveWholeHealth practice.
VICK, a wheelchair-cleaning kiosk, is transforming wheelchair sanitation in VA hospitals with UVC technology.
Lowe’s delivered my last order to the wrong address! Twice within 24hr and refuse to refund my money. After the failed delivery I contacted Lowe’s hardware store representative by phone and she assured me that it was corrected and yet it was delivered again to the wrong address. It can be found in postmaster x that all my orders be received only with my signature and FedEx delivered and took everyone’s name but Jerry Norman clearly on the packages? Lowe’s hardware store failed and FedEx failed me and refuse to refund my money and I paid twice for the rose bushe because the representative said because it was outsourced.
Reading a lot of the comments I just felt my tears I can not read anymore. I am a house wife of a master chief who died two years ago. He did suffered a lot too with 10% disability for many years. With the help of a friend advice he decided to apply for an increase disability and got up to 80% in 2017 but he died August 2020. He still processing to get 100% but the 10% on his blood pressure remained and that is what he is hopping to make up the 100%. Thank God my application for DIC was approved for cause of service connected death high blood pressure for many years.
I decided to write comments on behalf of my friends suffering financial problems specially in particular one who served 30 years also a master Chief but always denied . He died 2018 just imagine how hard to be left behind without anything. I always cry for all military wife may God help them .
I am a 70 year old Marine Veteran and I am just filing for disability for the first time about a year ago. I did file for tinnitus about ten (10) years ago and was granted with no problem. I did not know anything about filing for other disabilities until I started doing research and working with a VSO in my area. Get your medical records, get off your ass and learn stuff for and about yourself. Get qualified free help to get started and never give up. If you feel you deserve something that you are not being helped with don’t be afraid to seek council. It’s a process that is different for every individual so don’t be disappointed when yours didn’t turn out the way Johnnie’s did.
Do the work. Praying works for me.
My husband was a Korean War vet and during that time had to under go knee surgery. Well it goes without saying he is suffering and three years ago was not granted an increase in his disability pay presently 10 percent. What more can he do?
Most veterans will NEVER receive these benefits or discounts from the providers they sign up for. The government is bring defrauded. It happened to me by Xfinity/Comcast. Those companies are run by criminals!
Great job ?
WHERE DO YOU SEND THE COMPLETED FORM FOR THE CONNECTIVITY PROGRAM?
I’m getting some help next wk on using my cell phone etc At the Vet 2 Vet office on Haight Ave in Poughkeepsie NY Need to brush up on my skills TKU for this note
Some of the problems mentioned here might be caused by poor Veterans Services people. I tried to get some disability for my hearing loss 30 years ago in Chicago. 12 months on an 8″/175 artillery firebase greatly reduced my hearing, but I was not smart enough to apply for a disability and get VA health benefits. Applying in Chicago was futile in every way. I still wonder whether I should have offered the guy some money like you had to do with a number of things in Chicago. Twenty years later I applied again in Oregon where we moved to be near our grandchildren. No problem, 10% disability and a good bit of health coverage. Today, thanks to this VSI. I have full VA health coverage and 60% disability for Agent Orange and PTSD. They helped me realize I had more problems than I thought.
I applied and received a discount on a vehicle more than 15 years ago. Now I am in a w/c but I can stand to transfer but need an adapted vehicle because I don’t qualify. I also need a cell phone I can see and hear without using speakers. A computer device and internet that does not go in and out would be helpful. I am a Vietnam vet.
I, too, am a 100% Service Connected Viet Nam Veteran. I, also, suffer from Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy, a Genetic Heart Problem that can cause death without warning from Stress. I am covered by SSDI, also.
I understand that Viet Nam and Korean Era Veterans are denied most standard VA Benefits because the Government cut-off Date is on or about 25 March 1975 (the date Nixon Surrendered to North Viet Nam) making previous Combat Veterans ineligible for most VA Care!
My wife and I live in a Townhouse Association that has Private Snow Removal, we have to pay for. My driveway is not cleared because my car is parked there and the Snow Plow will Not plow it. I am forced to remove the heavy snow myself, my heart condition and other “Service-Connected” disabilities create great stress on my heart and the VA says if I have a Stroke, it WILL be a Severe one!! I have about 10 years left to live and I do NOT want to spend them in a “Vegetable Bin”!!
Also, Denied Car-giver assistance because I was in the WRONG WAR!! Is the Government EVER going to help those of us who served prior to 25 March 1975 or are they hoping we just curl up and DIE!!
I’m not a disable veteran. I served 12yrs. To all you veterans that are complaining about others getting compensation will you like it if you were receiving benefits and others suggest that you are over compensated.? You should seek help from DAV or other VSO instead of steady complaining. Let’s stop whining like snowflakes. We are not.
I have 100% VA Disability and SSDI with Medicare. I was denied FCC’s Lifeline and Affordable Connectivity in Sep 2022 because my income (VA and SSDI) does not qualify me for the internet discount. Who do I reach out to for assistance? If I need to contact Digital Divide could someone give me their POC?
I am also a 100% Disabled Vet receiving VA Disability Compensation and SSDI. No disrespect intended but, if you can’t afford Internet Service based on what they pay us, you need a financial advisor.
Hello,
I am a Retired US Marine/Vietnam Combat Veteran rated 100% Disabled for service connected conditions and I Live in the Philippines, Why are Veterans in the Philippines not given the same benefits as US Veterans get???
I now longer get Travel Pay and I Have a Heart Problem and VA Manila will not order the medications I Need so I pay for them out of pocket each month and FMP Will NOT Reimburse me.
I Served my Country in Vietnam with Honor so why am I Less important than Veterans in the US??
Also why is it so Damned hard to reach the VA Administrator, IE, No Email address to contact Him with this and why are any messages always Ignored??????????
Try going through a Veterans s as Service Organization such as VFW, DAV, Catholic War Veterans, Purple Heart, etc. you can look up all the Veterans Service Organizations and contact info. No run around from them.
Would like to know why it is that those with a pension can qualify for all kinds of help while those who managed to make it home & deal with all their problems themselves & be basically treated like they were nobodies because they were forced to go to a country far away at the age of 18 or 19 to mess up their lives forever,everyone that was forced to go to Vietnam should be getting a check just for being forced to go.But seems like only the ones who have managed to get a pension or some form of disability check are the ones who can qualify for even more,does anyone else see the logic here.Those who have never been able to get a dime for their time in Vietnam & don’t have high blood pressure or any other common illness can qualify for all kinds of help.God forbid they might end up with kidney cancer,agent orange,headaches,pain every single day & yet the VA denies them of getting help with medicine,travel pay to & from hospital or clinics,low-cost Internet or anything else.All I’d like to know is why is it we live in this land of the free because of these soldiers that sacrificed everything to suffer their last days on this earth without being compensated while others get way more than some of them deserve? Seems the saying is so true that the more you have the more freebies you get,but if you struggled all your life to take care of yourself & your family & tried to make a better life without asking for a handout,when the time does come that you do reach out for help as you’ve no other choice you get denied over & over & made to feel like your time over there did not matter.I just don’t understand how it is that some that can still work & do whatever they want are drawing big checks & some that stay in pain on daily basis can’t get any compensation what-so-ever.
Don’t know what you mean by people drawing big checks. The VA pension program doesn’t work that way. IE: A homeless vet who may be getting $700.00 per month in SSI benefits would only qualify for about $600.00 month VA pension. If his income rises his benefit will decrease. For instance if he was disabled but not service connected and was waiting for social security disability benefits to kick in, his VA pension would more than likely stop because it would put him above the $1300. or so threshold. So nobody is pulling down big pension checks that they don’t deserve. Vets who serve for two, four or twenty years and manage to get through without service connected disabilities deserve to share the benefits as much as the rest of us. If you have a claim that is not going through maybe it is missing some information or records, etc. contact a VSO to help you. Best wishes, Gtempleton2 US army vet
My sympathy! Have you tried getting help from the DAV in making a claim.
According the the people at the Affordable Connectivity Program anyone with a 100% disability pension has too much income to qualify.
I never have felt that I received the compensation that I deserved, where others have been over compensated. My oldest daughter has severe birth defects which are to this day,
causing her extreme pain and suffering. Thanks to the Eisenhower and previous administrations involving us, in conflicts that were doomed to failure.
Does this apply to veteran’s widow?