CPUC Could Expand Low-Income Support to People Without SSNs

The California Public Utilities Commission sought comment Tuesday on how to expand the state’s LifeLine program to low-income people lacking social security numbers (SSN). Comments are due Jan. 26, replies Feb. 23. Commissioner Genevieve Shiroma, assigned to docket R.20-02-008, is “committed to ensuring that low-income Californians have access to essential communication services without barriers to program participation,” she wrote. The commissioner asked how to ensure Californians without social security numbers can participate and what types of government-issued identity documents it should accept from those people. “The FCC has not yet determined whether to waive the SSN requirement for federal Lifeline participants in California,” began another question. “Should the California LifeLine Fund make up for all or a portion of the lack of federal Lifeline support for Californians without an SSN?”