Cox Communications works with ID.me to offer online identity verification for the federal government’s Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP). ID.me specializes in digital identity protection and helps ensure you’re you—and not someone pretending to be you.
The ACP is designed to help Americans stay connected to the internet. Eligible households can receive up to $30 (or up to $75 for households on tribal lands) off their current internet service, including equipment costs. This article explains how to verify your Public Benefits Recipient status for the ACP.
Eligibility
You are eligible to verify as a Public Benefits Recipient if you’re a Cox customer or in the process of subscribing to a Cox internet plan and you participate in any of the following programs:
- Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) General Assistance
- Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
- Federal Pell Grant
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
- Medicaid
- National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
- Qualifying low-income (200% or below federal poverty guidelines)
- School Breakfast Program (SBP)
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Tribal Head Start
- Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Veterans and Survivors Pension Benefit
- Women, Infants, and Children Program (WIC)
Documents to verify
During the Public Benefits Recipient verification process, you must submit documents to verify you qualify. To find a list of documents you’ll need, visit Documents to verify your Public Benefits Recipient status.
How to verify
To verify your Public Benefits Recipient status, you will need to create an ID.me account and verify using the required documentation. To verify your status:
1. Create or sign in to Cox account
To begin the verification process:
- Go to the Cox ACP Program site.
- Sign in to your Cox account if you’re already a customer or confirm if Cox internet is available in your area.
- If you’re an existing Cox customer, select Log in and get started, sign in to your Cox account, then select Apply now.
- If you don’t have a Cox internet plan, enter your home address and select Check availability. Select Apply, then Shop and then select Start the Application. If you qualify, credit will automatically be applied to your Cox internet bill.
- On the terms and conditions page, select I Agree, Continue to ID.me. You’ll be directed to sign in to ID.me.
2. Verify with ID.me
- Sign in or create an ID.me account. For new ID.me accounts, you’ll need to confirm your email address and set up multi-factor authentication (MFA). If you have already verified your identity before, select Begin and go to step three. Otherwise, continue to step two.
- On the “Verify Your Identity” screen, choose a verification method. You can verify using your:
- Phone number
- Driver’s license or state ID
- Passport
- Passport card
- Enter information about your household, then select Continue. This helps to determine if you qualify.
- Select the Public Benefit program you participated in, then upload an acceptable document.
- If you qualify as a Public Benefits Recipient, you will see “We’ve verified your status!”. Select Allow and continue to share your information with Cox.
After you verify
After verifying for the Affordable Connectivity Program, you will see a message from Cox confirming that you submitted your application. It can take up to five days to hear if you were approved.
ID.me will email you after you have successfully verified your identity and again when your status as a Public Benefits Recipient is approved.