Here's how you can apply to the FCC for the $50 discount on your broadband bill

You may be eligible for a $50 monthly coronavirus pandemic discount on your home broadband bill starting May 12. The Emergency Broadband Benefit Program was included as part of the roughly $900 billion COVID-19 relief package passed by Congress in December 2020 and signed by President Trump. It set aside $3.2 billion for the Federal Communications Commission to cover the program. You qualify for the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) if you currently qualify for the Lifeline program, the program that helps low-income Americans purchase broadband access. You also qualify if you are on Medicaid or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Any household with income at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines is eligible, as are those in the free and reduced-price school lunch program and school breakfast program. Also eligible, those who had a substantial loss of income since Feb. 29, 2020 – and are at or below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers.

To sign up, you can visit the Get Emergency Broadband site for more information how to get the benefit. It will soon also have a search function to find providers near you. It will also tell you what documents you need to prove your eligibility such as a tax return, Social Security statement of benefits, and a furlough notice, for instance. Online and printable applications will be available on the Get Emergency Broadband site. Some providers such as Q-Link are already signing up consumers. Recipients of the benefit do not get the money directly. Your provider gets the funds to cover the discount directly from the EBB.