Being charged $125 / month to use landline phone with closed captioning

Does the phone line have to be POTS?  AT&T has digital phone service options that are cheaper per month, or perhaps you could use a different VOIP provider such as Ooma, Vonnage or MagicJack to provide analog phone service to the telephone with closed captioning.  The prices range from "free" (you have to pay fees such as taxes, USF, local 911 fees, etc.) to $30/month for such a service, which is better than $55/month for POTS.

You might ask loyalty if there's some sort of discount available for the Internet service.  Going from $45 to $70 seems rather strange unless some sort of new customer discount expired.  My Internet service is $65/month for 500 Mbps FTTP service.

Google close caption phone, there's a government sponsor one that may be free if she qualifies.

Does she receive SNAP?

If yes can apply for ATT Access for $30 per month.

I think OP's mother already has a phone, so an offer of a "free Captioning phone" isn't the point.  It's the monthly service fee that she's struggling with.  Unless you're thinking that a different phone may alleviate the need for one of the two services she has.

I saw one phone model out there that said it had the capability of doing the Closed captioning without an Internet Connection.

@JefferMC

The OP said "The price for the phone is $55 a month". I took that to mean there might be some sort of rental involved. If the $55 is only for phone service, internet phone service could be a better deal since she already has internet. It couldn't hurt to check out her State's offerings.

The reason why the bill was increased was that last year in Michigan there was an ice storm and a tree took down the copper line. I called to get the service back up and AT&T tried to sell upgraded fiber service during a State of Emergency in Michigan! I refused. They installed fiber anyway and then jacked up the cost January of this year.

It turns out that copper was a more reliable service (notwithstanding the tree taking out the service line), since fiber only works when there is power. The power sometimes goes out in Michigan and then my mom has no phone. 

It just seems absurd that there is no other technical solution for a landline phone plus closed captioning from the phone and internet company for less than $125.

I contacted their disability National Center for Customers with Disabilities (NCCD) but they claim they can only help people with a cell phone and do not help people with landline phones! I also contacted AT&T's Disability and Aging Center, which apparently has been abolished (I got a normal advisor who knew nothing about it - of course). And I also talked with their Disability Department. Again bubkis. Each department tried to pass me off to another department, again and again. Rinse and repeat. Almost as if they are trained NOT to help customers solve problems and just dish them out to another hapless, clueless department until in frustration the customer gives up.

So there is apparently NOBODY within AT&T that can help an 85 year old granny that needs a phone with closed captioning for a reasonable price. Quite amazing honestly the duplicity, dishonestly, and deceptive business practices of this company. Honestly they deserve some sort of award in customer disservice. ★★★★★ (Hope Sauron is not reading this. If you are reading this you are never getting your Ring back! Ha Ha.)

The total bill for phone, tv, and internet in January was $258! Eye watering. Perhaps they need the whole shebang from another full service provide that can provide the captioning without breaking the bank.

They installed fiber anyway and then jacked up the cost January of this year.

At this point,  an online complaint to the FCC or BBB was warranted.  It's not too late.  You should have your Internet service at the price you were paying for before they replaced it with fiber, at least for a year (and, re-reading this, perhaps that was the case).  If they replaced her copper service with Fiber, that sounds like she already has AT&T Phone, not POTS.  And she's being charged $55/month for that?  Wow!   And, if she's on AT&T Phone now, shifting to another VOIP provider should be technically feasible.

I don't know how long you're typically without power in your location.  A UPS can be had to give your power for your Gateway (and ONT if separate) for several hours for somewhere between $100 and $200 and should last 3-4 years before needing a battery replacement.

AT&Ts customer facing departments are staffed as cheaply as AT&T knows how and are severely limited in what they can do.  If there's not a script option for it, they cannot do it.  If they can't help you, there's no reason for you to be tying up their phone line keeping them from achieving their calls-per-hour metrics.  They probably also don't want to be the last person you speak with if they can't help you, because that's who'll get tagged with the results of whatever post-call survey you answer.

If ATT fiber has been deployed and have an issue with copper the copper service will not be repaired but a forced migration to fiber or cancel the service.

Please double check your billing again and for both services in case the numbers are transposed with internet being $55.

What was the previous speed tier? Current speed tier as internet 500 would be $70, internet 300 $60 and if qualify for ATT ACCESS for fiber speed of 100 would be $30.

Last I checked, been awhile, ATT Phone which is old Uverse Voip with connection into back of gateway with unlimited calling was around $35. In this case have one bill for combined billing. If have internet with POTS line would have two separate bills.

Internet 300 (60) and ATT Phone (35?) Is less than $100 before taxes and fees which can add up. 

Conclusion number of bills?, speed tier?, Phone connection back of gateway?

Phone is a Caption Call phone which requires a connection to the internet.

Unlimited phone service costs $40.99 and $56.99 after taxes. 

They had Internet 500 in January 2024 at $70 a month.

(Was apparently upgraded from Internet 300 due to temporary $3 a month discount. So apparently they bait and switched my dad.) 

The Internet 100 was offered at $60 by AT&T in my recent call. i.e. The least expensive option for the internet.

Uverse with unlimited calling for $35 sounds like a good idea... I'll check into this. But $35 phone + $60 internet = $95. Still quite expensive to have a landline and closed captioning, which I believe should be offered pro gratis.

My parents don't quality for any reduced pricing.