Yes, we said free government cell phones. There’s a little known government program called Lifeline Assistance that provides free cell phones and free minutes for needy Americans. And as the economy slows down, the program speeds up.
Here are ten surprising facts about free government cell phones and the people who have them.
1. Over 10 million free government cell phones are now in use. The program began in 1999 with landline phones, but since the first wireless phone was handed out in mid-2008 its growth has accelerated rapidly.
2. In 38 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico, companies offer government cell phones. The program has come a long way quickly since it began in Tennessee in mid-2008 — expect coverage in all states soon.
3. You can qualify for a free government cell phone simply by accepting other government assistance. Medicaid, food stamps, SSI, National School Lunch, Section 8 Housing, etc. Don’t worry about providing proof. The program will take your word for it.
4. You can qualify for a free government cell phone in some states if your household income is 150% of the poverty level. Arizona, Florida, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island and Texas, to be specific. But in all the other states you can qualify with an income 135% of federal poverty guidelines.
5. It’s nicknamed the Obama Phone. Calling this the “Obama Phone” an inaccurate appellation, however, because contrary to the rumors the first free cell phone was doled out under President Bush, not President Obama.
6. Illegal aliens are welcome. The program’s rules don’t exclude non-U.S. citizens and there is no mechanism in place to verify citizenship. That will undoubtedly result in reduced funds available for Americans.
7. The world’s richest man in the biggest player. Carlos Slim, the Mexican billionaire and world’s richest man, owns Safelink Wireless, the original and largest company in the free government cell phone business.
8. The program is plagued with fraud. Here’s just one example out of many: The population of Puerto Rico is 4,000,000 and the government estimates that 200,000 of Puerto Ricans have fraudulent free phone accounts. More fraud means fewer free phones for those truly in need. Fortunately, the FCC is going after the fraud.
9. Oddballs. 38 states, Washington DC and Puerto Rico participate in the free government cell phone program. In 38 of those jurisdictions, the program provides a free cell phone and 250 free minutes per month. The oddballs? In California customers pay $1 for 1000 minutes, in Alaska they pay $1 for unlimited talk and text, and in Oklahoma it’s $2.50 for 250 minutes.
10. If you like the free government cell phone program, you’re going to love the free government internet program. Cheaper internet for the poor is already here, but now the FCC has proposed a new program to offer free internet and low-cost computers to America’s needy.
Bonus #11. The free government cell phone business is a growth industry. The program cost a relatively modest $800 million in 2008, but government “experts” estimate that it will exceed $1.5 billion in 2011. Don’t believe it. We think the final number will be closer to $2.0 billion.
http://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net
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{ 34 comments… read them below or add one }
I,m poor and I,m trying to keep up with the fast pace of americans making money off those left behind and then complaining about the less fortunate for help to gain information on how to catch up enough to lessen the burden on those who believe to be of higher class. Yes let us take more money for learning and give to those people who need it for schooling to help them selves so it can help others in like matter to help others, See it could be a win win for all instead of a few that the few wage war with to gain for a few, just to leave the rest behind to fall for all that is left to do witch is to rob, murder, and rape. Not all will do right but by helping more will app to try to do good for all man kind than to go bad. Like what happened when they took rehab out of the prison system, they were left with nothing to do but fight one another then come out with what they learned.witch was to,fight, and prosper by hurting others. MY vote is more free phones, internet and low cost computers to America,s needy. we all make out better that way.
My hope it that you can someday return to school, where you just might learn how to spell and make a logical arguement for what ever it was you were trying to express. The only thing I was able to discern from your comment was that you wanted a phone and the internet but you didn’t want to have to work to pay for it.
I have an 82 years old grandma. She receives SSI and madecaid. I was trying to get this phone for her by calling Safelink, but she was not qualified becuase she does not own a house (funny program). To qualify, the application must be the head of the household. In her case, she live with me so she is not qualify. I think this program drain money from the tax payers.
Rick- perhaps you can take your own advice. i will not go into the punctuation issues your paragraph presents, but I will address the spelling since you choose to correct others. Someday is two words not one, arguement is argument, what ever is one word not two, was in the last sentence should be is not was-stay in the same tense. LeerRosh- I do believe there is class warfare in a nation for which class always was an issue. The wealthy own the majority of wealth in this country and since then Americans have lost dental insurance, health, life insurance and many other benefits, as well as having the poor and the middle class pitted one against the other. TV and the well-heeled tell us whom to hate and now tell us that the maid working two jobs and still cannot feed her family is lazy, while we pay exorbitant prices for medications, food, and other necessaries. In days gone by, one parent could care for a family. Now both are working more than one job and cannot afford a home or to send a child to college. While in the face of all this, we now have billionaires and will soon have trillionaires. Unprecedented greed is the common factor. Corporations control what we see on TV, what we eat, learn, where we go to war (where they make billions) our courts, politicians, and every other aspect of our lives. Lobbyists buy politicians and we live by their desires. The free cell phone business ultimately benefits corporate America in the end: what entity do you think is paid by the government? It is for this same reason we have so many prisoners, more than any country in the world (we jail more than a fourth of all the world’s prisoners)-a growth industry for corporations and a multi-billion dollar cost for us. The educational system is failing most Americans while unaffordable elite institutions are available only to few. I could go on, but you get my drift.
I could not of said it better than you have. Free government cell phone’s and internet for those who do not want to work. It is a good way for the government to track the disadvantaged and the ignorant. I wonder if they need a court order to track cell phones and read the texting that goes on with them.. Big Brother Is Watching You Idiots…
What on earth are all you affluent haters doing on a low income website? Did the VA police catch you tripping disabled vets, and now you are bored?
How do you get so worked up over a lousy cell phone, while imagining the bank meltdown was not class warfare in action?
All the assistance your taxes ever provided for the poor is dwarfed by the bailouts you provide for the super rich.Such foolish robots you all are.
This program was probably a bad idea in the first place and if it is to be continued, it needs to be used wisely so we don’t waste government money. So, first off programs like these…like all other American programs, need to have ID laws. They also need to be fair all around the US, and they need to be limited.
And John. There is no class warfare other than those who feel that the rich owe them something…which they don’t. So please understand that this program is weak and will hurt everyone if it ends up costing 2 billion a year. That hurts everyone.
The government most definitely listens in on you phones calls and probably records your calls and texts.
i think i qualified for a free phone i really need one.
1. Over 30 million people qualify for this service
2. There are poor people in all states? OUTRAGEOUS!
3. The REQUISITES include giving all the information to confirm and even faxing or mailing the proof of the other assistance
4. 135% is 7000 dollars A YEAR more than the poverty line. I’d LOVE to see you taking care of a family of 4 with 30000 a year, and that the maximum, most people who receive the Safelink service are between 80 and 110%
5. And…? Out of “real” facts there buddy?
6. You can only enroll and have an account with your complete address, full name and complete social security number
7. Why do you care? He also owns half of the world this company disappearing into oblivion will barely make his gold vault a few kilos lighter.
8. This is the only thing that could be true but I can not find ANYTHING other than this …”article” with that information.
9. The service is by state and the cheapest deal you can get with one of these phone is 250 minutes for $5 which are provided by tracfone and obviously all the money is for them.
10. YEAH, THOSE POORS SHOULDNT HAVE ACCESS TO ANYTHING NOW I’M GOING TO BE MORE STEREOTYPICAL AND HAVE SEX WITH MY DAUGHTER NEAR THE SWAMP.
11. And? WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? It’s someones business.
Thirty thousand is way more than enough for a family of 4, especially, if, in addition, the people get free food stamps for the entire family, free medical care, for which they don’t have to pay a health insurance premium, free electricity and heat for their house, housing subsidies, and free college grants, etc.
Try having a lower middle income and a family and also needing to pay for all of those things which those on assistance are getting free, and struggle to put food on the table…plus pay taxes to pay for the people who are getting everything FREE! And then see how much you like it.
Also…there are so many people who are receiving assistance and aren’t reporting their income.
I don’t think you qualify for all the free things you mentioned on a 30,000 dollar income. I know the only college grant available is the Pell grant which pays a measly $750.00. Entitlements for homeowners, which the Republicans are trying to end, include the property tax deduction, mortgage interest deduction, school loans and others. I took advantage of these too, so I know.The biggest problem among the poor and the middle class is a lot of misinformation and exaggeration as well as again being pitted against each other when we need to unite against the real culprits-corporations.
5. And…? Out of “real” facts there buddy?
That’s what’s it’s incorrectly known by, including some phone vendors themselves
6. You can only enroll and have an account with your complete address, full name and complete social security number.
Incorrect.
9. The service is by state and the cheapest deal you can get with one of these phone is 250 minutes for $5 which are provided by tracfone and obviously all the money is for them.
Incorrect.
I live in a town of 350 persons and we do not have mail delivery to our home. We have a post office box and was told today that even though I have a street address and fit the financial guidelines for income I could not have a free phone. We spoke to our post mistress and she explained that there were others in our village who could not receive a free phone due to the lack of home delivery.
It would assist me to have a cell phone as I am seventy one and need to be able to walk in the village for health benefits.
I would like to hear from others who have the same problem.
Deanna, unfortunately we have heard of this problem time and again. From rural towns with on mailbox to single address shelters with hundreds of downtrodden, the phones are available due to stupid rules.
Deanna the only rights you have are in the constitution. Now get a job and buy you own damn phone.
Deanna is 71, 50 year olds cannot get a job and I think it is unfortunate we do not take better care of our elders. One day you will be in her shoes and of course like many others will change your tune.
Same here, I am so upset, it’s not fair just because we have a po box.
Do you know ALL people who pay for their own phone must pay a UNIVERSAL service fee every month on their phone bill to help PAY for the people who are getting free cell phones??
People who have landlines and can’t afford cell phones themselves must pay this fee too.
Many of us who are paying for our own phones are STRUGGLING to pay our bills…and also have money for food, because we don’t get food stamps, and we don’t get free electricity, and we have to pay taxes!
Sometimes our phone bill falls behind and we must work to catch up. Sometimes our phone bill gets shut off. And we have to do without a phone entirely. And then we have to pay an extra $50 fee or something like that to have it put on again, when we can afford it.
So it isn’t fair that those of us who are struggling to pay our OWN bills should have to pay for any else’s luxury. And a cell phone and internet is a luxury. It’s not a basic necessity.
In addition, MANY people who are on food stamps, ssi, etc. are making income and aren’t reporting it. They have live-in arrangements with boyfriends who have high enough incomes. And the entire household income should be reported as it is with married people who are honestly reporting the household income.
Most married households are not reporting their true income, see the latest figures. A basic phone is a necessity. I have a landline and do not mind paying the small fee. I do think that the free service needs to be monitored so those who need it get it.
I’ve had a free cell phone for about 3 years. However, I am terribly disappointed because I am severely hearing-impaired and cannot hear incoming callers on it. Now I only use it for emergency back-up, in case my land-line phone is out of operation and I need to call 911. At least I don’t have to hear them to state my address and what my emergency is. I have the Safelink cell phone. Is there one for the hearing-impaired with volume control? Thank you for any assistance you can provide!
I’ve had a Safelink cell phone for about 3 years. However, I’m severely hearing-impaired and the cell phone is almost useless to me because I cannot hear the incoming callers. I hav kept it, though, because I have lifeline and if my landline phone were to become inoperable, my lifeline would not work either. Therefore, the cell phone could be used to dial 911 and I would not need to be able to hear in order to state my emergency, my address, etc., to summon help. My question is: Does the free cell phone program have a cell phone with a volume control that I can trade my present cell phone for or do you have any other suggestions? If would seem the government would not have a program like this that discriminates against the handicapped. I appreciate your time and assistance. Thank you!
I just found out about this ridiculous program, because my lazy, government assisted sister, got one. I am furious. Why is my tax dollars paying for cell phones. When did a cell phone become a necessity. oh wait, it doesn’t have to be a necessity, just ask the government to give you something you want, not nescessarily need, can’t afford, but think you deserve, Why don’t you all living off the tax payers who work hard to make ends meet, ask for a sports car…or a new home…or even a boat… don’t settle for just a cell phone. I am so mad!!! This is what is wrong with our economy, people who think the government should take care of them. I am all for those who have disabilities and elderly who have worked all their lives and paid taxes to get a little help, but I am tried of people like my sister who will take every thing she can get and want more at my expense, while sitting at her mothers home, smoking a pack a day, and eating food bought with food stamps. oh, and then compain about the government.
I agree totally except that a cell phone is necessary nowadays. There are no public phones anymore and if you are in danger or sick, how do you call.
i have applied back in November sent all the information and i haven’t heard anything, my daughter sent her information in 2 weeks before i did and got her phone in 3 weeks. That is how i found out about this program. I really need this.
Hey I came across this message board and thought it was interesting that all of you people that are saying your in need of a cell phone but yet your on the internet.
Internet: I know the internet isn’t free yet so why don’t you get rid of your internet and just use the public library computer.
Smoking: If you still can’t afford a phone then quit smoking that is at least with 1 pack a day 30 packs and/or 3 cartons of smokes. Well if you quit your looking at putting a minimum of 150 back in your pocket. That can surely pay for the cell phone and some food too.
Alcohol: Lay off the alcohol also a bottle of booze runs anywhere from 15.00 to 150 for the heavy drinkers per month.
All these ways are ways of reducing your spent money. If you can’t afford your bills then learn to minimize your use.
Electricity: Shut lights off if your not in that room.
Heat or cooling your home: Close doors in your home. Turn the temp down in the winter and up higher or off in the summer.
Water: Take a shower instead of a bath. Take a cold shower instead of a hot one and only take a 5 minute shower instead of a 15 minute to a half hour. Reduce the water by rinsing your toothbrush and shut the water off then turn it on when you spit in the sink.
If all these methods don’t work then definitely you are a waste and should just go to another country so that we don’t have to support your habits.
On the other hand if your disabled then that is what those programs are their for. If your elderly then you have served your time and cell phones have to small of keys so don’t bother just use the house phone and answering machine and you can call them back when you get home.
We have survived for years with no cell phones. Having a cell phone is a luxury! I don’t mind giving free/discounted landlines. But a cell phone? This is asinine! I guarantee that 90% of those that get this service eat better than I do! We are mo longer America, land of the free and home of the brave. We are, America, land of hand outs and home of the I want more for free! If we want to fix this economy, then shut down programs such as this!
Cell phones are not luxuries, they are the standard phone these days. It’s less expensive to provide a Lifeline cell phone than a Lifeline landline phone. Would you rather provide landlines instead because it makes you feel better?
Cell phones are a luxury, when you have to pay for them. If it is free that implies it is not a luxury and anyone on food stamps should have one. One vote; one phone. Other programs in Louisiana are taking deep cuts because there is no money. Free phones is not high on the list of things it takes to survive. It is a luxury. My goodness, illegal aliens even qualify for this handout.
Sick in Louisiana
I believe the Obama administration may have sold the phone number list to another company. I get calls everyday from companies trying to sell me stuff.
Is this even legal? what can I do to get off these lists.
I also know several people around this area that have 5 cell phones each…
and one I know has 10 of them.
if you get food stamps, you get free phones and free internet, and free food from the food bank and help with your electricity and these are just the things I am aware of… A popular web site would be what you can get for free when you are on food stamps… the amount given free is probably in the hundreds of billions in the US. who pays for this?
I am profoundly binaurally deaf–in layman’s terms,deaf as a rock, in both ears.I have searched and searched, but all I can find is, at best, Assurance with their 20 dollar up grade for 1000 texts and 1000 minutes.
I have no use for 1000 minutes—is there no provision for low income deaf people? Any ideas would be very appreciated.
This is completely insane. Who is paying for this program? My wife and I are somewhat elderly(65 & 76). We pay about $70/month for a basic 450Min plan, of which 200 to 300 of the available 900 min are used. A friend has five free 250 min cell phones. Of course I asked why five, “They just keep sending applications.” He complained that minutes used are adjusted to the next highest, ie 10 sec is 1 min. I am on SS, 50 years working in the program and military(20 year active) and my wife has both teachers and SS. We are still going backwards financially. The whole system is out of hand. People should work for any benifit.
http://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/faq/report-lifeline-assistance-fraud-abuse-waste
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