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

TL;DR

FCC Chairman Brendan Carr is proposing new rules for the federal Lifeline program to ensure funds only go to living, eligible Americans.
The FCC alleges that California has been responsible for a significant portion of funds being disbursed to deceased individuals.
California officials argue that discrepancies are due to administrative lag time between a death and account closure, not systemic fraud.
A Democratic FCC commissioner criticizes the proposed rules as overly strict and potentially harmful to eligible recipients.
The proposed rule changes include collecting full Social Security numbers and using the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program for verification.
The FCC previously revoked California's 'opt-out' status for the program over compliance issues.
An FCC Inspector General report indicated that nearly $5 million was disbursed for deceased subscribers between 2020 and 2025, with over 80% of these claims in California.
The report also noted that some individuals were enrolled and claimed after their deaths.
Carr claims the proposed changes will help reduce costs for consumers who pay Universal Service charges on their phone bills.
The FCC is scheduled to vote on the proposed rule changes next month.

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