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The kinetic of dielectric charging in capacitive RF microelectromechanical systems (RF MEMS) is investigated using an original method of stress and monitoring. This effect is investigated through a new parameter: the shift rate of the actuation voltages. We demonstrate that this lifetime parameter has to be considered as a function of the applied voltage normalized by the contact quality between the bridge and the dielectric. We also demonstrate that this phenomenon is related to Frenkel-Poole conduction, which takes place into the dielectric. We finally propose a model that describes the dielectric charging kinetic in capacitive RF MEMS. This model is used to extract a figure-of-merit of capacitive switches lifetime. Index Terms--Dielectric charging, figure-of-merit (FOM), Frenkel-Poole conduction, reliability, RF microclectromechanical systems (RF MEMS).