As a citizen of the 21st century, communication is a basic need for every one of us. If you think you are eligible for the lifeline program, you should apply for it now.
It’s because you won’t be able to meet other basic needs and get help in an emergency situation without a phone. If you’re thinking about how can I apply for free phone and affordable line, we’re here for you.
We’ll also cover the lifeline program, the eligibility criterion, free phone offers, and all the necessary details so that you won’t feel alienated only because you can’t afford a basic phone line. So, let’s begin with the application procedure along with some suitable carrier information for your quick decision.
How can I apply for free phone?
If you have slightly better income conditions, you can get a free phone when you switch. Otherwise, you should apply for the lifeline program and get a free phone requires to meet some conditions. Here, we’ll tell you all about the process in details step-by-step.
Can I sign up for a free phone?
Yes, you can sign up for a free phone and an affordable monthly plan. All you need to do is to see if you’re eligible, choose a phone company in your area, and sign up with necessary documents. Here’s the details that will give you official information on the lifeline program. The steps begin with you being eligible and let’s see the factors that make you eligible.
- Let’s say your income is 135% or less than the poverty guidelines set by the federal government which is different for each state. You can see the guidelines. In this case, you are eligible to sign up for the program. But you’ll need to show some sort of your income proof, for example, 3 consecutive pay stubs or a tax return.
- On the other hand, you can also be eligible if you’re a beneficiary to any one of the assistance programs led by the government. Showing a card, letter, or official document that proves that you’re an active participant in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps, Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA), Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit, or live on federally-recognized Tribal lands will get you the free phone and free plan.
- Moreover, you can also apply if your child or dependent gets benefits from any of the programs listed above.
Reading those 3 points, if you think that you’re eligible for at least one criterion, it’s time for you to take the next step.
In this final part, you can get the desired phone with a connection after finishing the tasks. Get the detailed information and all necessary links to sign up.
- In this part, begin with finding the phone company that is offering lifeline connections in your area. You can easily do that from here.
- After that, select the one that’s offering the most suitable package for your situation and call their customer care number. You can either do this by directly talking to an official or by an online signup process.
- Next, they will tell you to provide some necessary information to prove your identity and your eligibility. The documents and other information include your full legal name, date of birth, last 4 digits of your Social Security number (or Tribal identification number), and the address. Also, you’ll be required to show unexpired ID such as a Driver’s License, or Social security card, or Medicaid card, or your prior year’s tax return.
Finally, after you get the approval from your chosen phone company, you’ll get your phone and a connection with an affordable monthly plan.
What is lifeline free cell phone?
Lifeline is a government program that supports low-income families or people with a basic phone connection. You can either choose a landline connection or a wireless connection for your household.
According to the Federal Poverty Guidelines, you can get a discounted phone line with cheap phones. If your income is very low than the range, you can get a free phone along with free monthly data and voice plans.
What is free cell phone program?
A free cell phone program is called the lifeline program. This is a government program that’s alive since the Bush administration. This is an FCC program and you can get the advantages of it easily.
You only need to be eligible according to the poverty guideline. However, there are also some assistance programs and if you’re a monthly beneficiary of any of the programs, you’ll automatically be eligible.
Free Lifeline Cell Phones
The lifeline program offers many free smartphone models so that you can connect with a wireless connection. Among all, we’ve gathered the best free government cell phones that you must check out today.
- Qlink is a phone carrier that we love because of their easy terms and low or no charges when you opt for the lifeline program through their network. Their packages vary from state to state and you should check their website to see the available offers in your area. They offer 20+ different add on packages so that you can add the minute or data as per your requirement.
- Another great phone carrier is Verizon Wireless and we’ve wrote about their program below. You’ll be able to save a lot of money by taking their monthly wireless service if the carrier is allowed to operate under lifeline service in your area.
- You can get one of the best deals from Assurance Wireless which operates under Sprint in 41 states. They are the 2nd largest and you can rely on their network with the cheap data and voice plans.
- SafeLink is another big player in the lifeline program and they are the biggest and oldest cell phone carrier to offer free phones and affordable monthly plans.
- Boost Mobile is known for its cheap monthly plans and great deals offered to its customers. So, check their official website for any current promotions that might benefit you.
- The American Assistance is probably the only carrier that has full coverage in the United States that provides service to the lifeline eligible persons and households. On top of that, they offer zero-cost connections including phones to their lifeline customers. So, you should take their service and you can also buy additional data or minutes.
- If you are in Maryland or Arkansas, you can go for the Assist Wireless which was previously known for the Obama phone. We’re recommending it to the Maryland or Arkansas citizens because you can get free phones and monthly plans offered by this carrier in those areas. They offer coverage in other states but those are not as generous as these 2 states.
There are tons of other phone carriers offering great deals. Choose the suitable one for you carefully because once you’ve chosen, you’ll be stuck with the carrier for at least one year.
Verizon Wireless Supports Lifeline Subscribers
Verizon, like many other phone carriers, also offer free government phones through the lifeline program. The official website where you can complete the process to get Verizon Wireless free government phone.
If you live in Iowa, North Dakota, New York, or Wisconsin you can count on Verizon Wireless as they are allowed to serve in these areas.
You can save at least $9.25 per month on monthly data and voice plans and to do that, you’ve to sign up for Verizon’s wireless service. But the discount is much more if you live in the federally-recognized tribal lands or participate in the tribal program.
Final Verdict
The whole purpose of the lifeline program is to ensure that low-income people can afford the latest broadband or wireless connection and the access it provides to jobs, education, and opportunities. So that you get an equal opportunity like every other person to write your own fate towards a better future.
Our final recommendation for you is to consider American Assistance to be your lifeline partner as they are offering the best deals with the full network coverage.
