If you listen to critics of the free government cell phone program, everyone and their mothers are ripping off the system, systematically plundering the Lifeline Assistance program.
In reality, fewer than half the American households that qualify for the Lifeline Assistance program currently participate in the SNAP food stamp program.
Here are the numbers, from CNS News:
SNAP participation averaged 44,344,259 persons in March 2016, a decrease of 38,667 persons compared with February 2016 and a decrease of 1,297,492 persons compared with March 2015. This is the lowest SNAP national participation level since February 2011. Still, SNAP matters for many Americans across the country, particularly as they struggle against problems of underemployment and stagnant wages.
Believe it or not, that’s good news, because the number of beneficiaries on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) had — until the last few months — topped 46,000,000 for 38 straight months according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Despite the startling number of Americans on food stamps, we estimate that the number of free government cell phones is currently below 12,000,000.
CNSnews.com uses some slightly older statistics to put that number in perspective:
As of July, the national population was 318,857,056, the Census Bureau estimates. Thus, the 46,674,364 on food stamps equaled 14.6 percent of the population.
As of September, according to the Census Bureau, there were 115,831,000 households in the country. Thus, the 22,867,248 households on food stamps in October equaled 19.7 percent of the nation’s households.
Unbelievable, isn’t it?
22,867,248 households on food stamps, which is one of the most common ways to qualifying for Lifeline Assistance. Yet fewer than 12,000,000 of those households have taken advantage of the free government cell phone program.
CNSnews puts the shocking number of food stamp recipients in perspective for you.
The 46,674,364 people on food stamps in the United States also exceeded the total populations of Columbia (46,245,297), Kenya (46,245,297), Ukraine (44,291,413) and Argentina (43,024,374)…They were slightly fewer than the population of Spain (47,737,941).
So the next time you hear some publicity-seeking politician spouting off about how many people are ripping off the system, please remember this statistic:
Less than half the households that qualify for free government cell phones have signed up for them.
And please help us spread the word about the free government cell phone program. If you know someone who qualifies, but has not yet enrolled, tell them about FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net.
We’re here to help.
antonio says
I need a replace phone number asap my don’t work please send address thank you
Free Government Cell Phones says
We’re not your service provider, Antonio. We’re an independent website. Here’s an article you should read before you attempt to get your phone replaced:
https://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/faq/i-lost-my-phone-how-do-i-get-a-replacement
Robyn says
I qualified for a phone and one is being sent to me but why cant my 17 y/o autistic child receive one as well incase of emergencies or to keep in touch. Is there ever an exception to a Parent and a special needs child having phones in the same household?
Free Government Cell Phones says
There are no exceptions that we know of, Robyn. Sorry. We wish there were exceptions to the “one per household” rule. This comment moderator’s wife teaches autistic children, so we completely understand your need. We hope the program’s administrators come to understand this special situation and address it in the near future.
Robyn says
Thank you for your response.
Free Government Cell Phones says
Our pleasure, Robyn.
kenneth d parsons says
I would like to qualify for a free cell phone and internet. We can not afford any longer the public co’s that are killing the senior citizens with their high prices. I make 1100.00 per month and my fiancé goes on social sec. in four months. I’m 77 and have never had to ask any gov’t program for any kind of aid.
Free Government Cell Phones says
Check the following page to figure out if you qualify for the program:
https://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/basics/qualify
Steven Mitchell says
First of all, I live in New York State and NY does not offer smartphones as part of the free lifeline phones, so those recipients of food-stamps would simply be getting a free phone with horrendous voice coverage and signal consistency and very limited features. As Diane points out in the comments, they are very cheap phones (couldn’t cost more than 25 cents to make) which are probably of the caliber offered to many in Third World countries and at the level of their quality don’t and could not fulfill the needs of those who use mobile phones as replacements for landline phones. The so-called Obama phones provide 19th Century phone quality. In general, even the best mobile networks are a throwback to 19th Century engineering. It is not just the regional coverage area that should be considered, but even in areas with allegedly good coverage, signal maintenance goes in and out, regularly. Cellular technology still has many shortcomings – as does Voice over IP – which possibly won’t be worked out for another 20-30 years to achieve the level of constant signal consistency that landlines possess. To have quality mobile service currently that was equal to landlines of 40 years ago, requires that the phone signal never goes out at all, and can always complete a call. We aren’t even close to that right now – not for any service that I am aware of in the World. So despite their being free telephones, they are so subpar in performance that they ultimately provide no benefit to those on food stamps. They are for all intents and purposes, phones of last resort, even for the poor and desperate.
Steven Mitchell says
First of all, I live in New York State and NY does not offer smartphones as part of the free lifeline phones, so those recipients of food-stamps would simply be getting a free phone with horrendous voice coverage and signal consistency and very limited features. As Diane points out in the comments, they are very cheap phones (couldn’t cost more than 25 cents to make) which are probably of the caliber offered to many in Third World countries and at the level of their quality don’t and could not fulfill the needs of those who use mobile phones as replacements for landline phones. The so-called Obama phones provide 19th Century phone quality. In general, even the best mobile networks are a throwback to 19th Century engineering. It is not just the regional coverage area that should be considered, but even in areas with allegedly good coverage, signal maintenance goes in and out, regularly. Cellular technology still has many shortcomings – as does Voice over IP – which possibly won’t be worked out for another 20-30 years to achieve the level of constant signal consistency that landlines possess. To have quality mobile service currently that was equal to landlines of 40 years ago, requires that the phone signal never goes out at all, and can always complete a call. We aren’t even close to that right now – not for any service that I am aware of in the World. What do the rich use?
JAMES F BRUMFIELD says
I PUT IN FOR A PHONE AND WAS SENT ONE BUT THEY WANT MY W2 FORM AND I DON’T HAVE ONE BUT I’AM 77 AND GET FOOD STAMPS AND MEDICADE I DON’T GET OUT TO OFTEN AS I HAVE COPD AND AM ON OXGEN 24/7 NOW THE PHONE THEY SENT ME IS NO GOOD BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A LINE TO GET HELP OR CALL MY FAMAILY SO CAN YOU HELP ME. THANK YOU JAMES F BRUMFIELD
Free Government Cell Phones says
Sorry to hear about your problems, James. If the phone they sent you is defective, you should immediately contact your service provider’s customer service team and ask them to replace it with a functioning phone. You’re entitled to it.
Steve says
@ Mr. JAMES F BRUMFIELD, Sir
About the “W2 FORM” – I’d make very sure this is the Lifeline Phone service you signed up with making this W2 request.
Not from a fraudster ! (I’ve been with two Lifeline Companies – and in each case never was asked to furnish W2’s when I used SNAP’s (food stamps) submitted information).
If you signed up with the Lifeline Phone service being on food stamps (SNAP) and sent a copy of your State issued ID along with a copy of your SNAP’s card and or Medicaid, would be most likely all that’s required and since you’ve ALREADY received the phone, I’d QUESTION THE NEED for this additional information from that Phone company about needing anything else.
About the “PHONE THEY SENT ME IS NO GOOD” you should have a grace period that you can return that Phone for a free replacement Phone – likely in the first 30 days in receiving it after signing up with your chosen Lifeline service provider.
You Sir, still will need to personally contact your specific Lifeline service provider directly by any of the following ways
Steps to take now.
1. Call your Lifeline phone service provider IMMEDIATELY and tell them that you received a defective cell phone, or that the phone soon quit working after just receiving it.
[List of Lifeline Service Providers Here]
https://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/free-cell-phone-providers
Find the Lifeline Service Provider NAME that you sent your information to and signed up with – that sent you the phone, within this page and click on their NAME which is a “LINK” to FGCP information about them.
Now SCROLL DOWN this page of “your chosen Lifeline Name (Link)”, you were sent to, and of the information shown there –
will be that of a CONTACT means, to this (your) Lifeline Service Provider. Looking for CONTACT (it’s name) WIRELESS
Things like their homepage www. LINK (in blue color),
Mailing Address,
Customer Service – phone number and a email address.
Trying any and all till you get through to someone, – I’d personally would use the email address contact method, so you would have proof of contact and any correspondence back to you from your Lifeline service provider.
If by phone – get the persons name and note the time the conversation started and ended, then any Supervisors Name as well if you asked to speak to one.
If you used the BLUE (www.) link there and went to the HomePage of your Lifeline service provider find the “Contact Us” located somewhere on that page, very top or bottom indexed links – most likely this same info. was already stated and shared here at FreeGovernmentCellPhone.(net)
2. If this yields unsatisfactory results your next step would be to contact your State of Residence Public Service Commission, for all States see-
http://www.naruc.org/about-naruc/regulatory-commissions/
and choose your State from the list.
Or use (Your Cities Telephone Book – State Government Pages) for your STATES – Public Service Commission, related contact information.
So if you have contacted your (1) Lifeline Telephone Company and then your (2) State Regulatory Commission and continue to have any Lifeline Service Provider problems, then only if you have exhausted (1) and 2) options above you can always try USAC (Universal Service Administrative Company).
Email Lifeline, see (ON THE PAGE at the LINK given) in
Step 3 – Email Lifeline Support (at the bottom of page) clicking on the BLUE link – where it says please email Lifeline Support and we will try to help you.
Use this link below and go to step 3 and click on blue link.
http://www.usac.org/ls/issues.aspx
Hope this helps you Sir in getting a working Phone.
Sir, last option is to change your Lifeline Company, which is allowed once every (60) days – the correct way to do this is a Lifeline Benefits Transfer. More info. on this-
http://www.usac.org/ls/change-my-company.aspx
(What this process could involve is submitting all new documentation, and which requires that of a filled out form of a “Lifeline Benefit Transfer” to be submitted.) You get a new phone and service provider of the Lifeline program doing so.
Steve
Steven Mitchell says
James I think that you are on Medicare, not Medicaid. Medicaid is medical coverage for the poor below a certain age that are not qualified for retirement healthcare.
Diane Oczkowski says
Maybe if you gave the food stamp recipients better phones than those CHEAP phones that take awful pictures and have small keyboards for texting and are Not smart phones, then people would sign up for them.Florida (a Republican state) is the CHEAPEST state when it comes to giving smart phones as lifeline phones. If you already have a smart phone or an android phone (I have an android phone) why can’t you bring it with you to a lifeline company? It has all the features I need which the cheap lifeline phones don’t.. Also these lifeline companies don’t use Verzon which is the best network-talking is clearer and can be received anywhere. If the lifeline companies got with the program on this maybe more people would sign up for these better phones.
Free Government Cell Phones says
Sorry to burst your bubble, Diane, but individual states have NOTHING to do with who offers smartphones. That is determined by the service providers. The only exceptions to this case are California and Oklahoma, where the companies get far larger subsidies and are, therefore, far more willing to offer smartphones.
As far as Verizon being “the best network,” that is completely dependent on where you live and each service provider’s network.
Many companies offer smartphones and data plans. You can check out all the smartphone policies here:
https://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/which-lifeline-cell-phone-companies-offer-smartphones
Steve says
FGCP – I know your Magical word was “QUAIFY” but, ones who were qualified, are now hit with STATES cutting them off after a three-month limit on SNAP benefits in 2016 due to One of the harshest pieces of the 1996 welfare law. Receiving only SNAP benefits for a total of 3 months in any 36 month period.
That being adults/households without minor children, unfit for employment, are not pregnant, or meet another exception. So then unemployed adults aged 18-49 who aren’t disabled and aren’t employed or in a work or training program for at least 20 hours a week, their SNAP Benefits cut off after three months irrespective of whether they are searching diligently for a job.
In the past few years, the three-month limit hasn’t been in effect in most states. The 1996 welfare law allows states to suspend the three-month limit in areas with high and sustained unemployment; many states qualified to waive the time limit throughout the state due to high unemployment rates, But as unemployment rates fall, fewer areas are qualifying for statewide waivers. Most states have counties and other localities that are eligible for waivers because they continue to have especially high unemployment.
In 2016, the time limit will be in effect in more than 40 states. In 22 states, it will be the first time the time limit has been in effect since before the recession. Of these states, 19 must re-impose the time limit in at least part of the state; another three are electing to
re-impose the time limit despite qualifying for a statewide waiver from the time limit because of continued high unemployment.
Source: http://www.cbpp.org/research/food-assistance/more-than-500000-adults-will-lose-snap-benefits-in-2016-as-waivers-expire
PDF – SNAP Time Limits – CLASP http://www.clasp.org/docs/2015-Fact-Sheet-on-ABAWDs-and-Disability-FINAL.pdf
All this will affect Lifeline enrolment numbers, to fall even more once it’s time for participants to recertify and had been qualified before with SNAP’s. Will this make only a small group of the top Lifeline Phone providers who can still offer the Lifeline program, or will FCC and the Lifeline Broadband answer be one or the answers here.
This country’s November election could have even more pressures !
Steve
Rhonda Lewis says
My mom needs one, the problem is, government phones quit using Verizon, and safe link does not help you! It says they have service here, but they don’t send a phone that works. Free or not, they don’t help
Free Government Cell Phones says
Most states have numerous Lieline Assistance free government cell phone companies to choose from. Here’s where you can find all the companies in your state, Rhonda:
https://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/states
John Balmer says
When I tried to appky with Safelink which is owned by TracFone they kept repeatedly asking me to submit the same documentation so many times I finally gave up. It is almost impossible to get the assistance even though you qualify.
Free Government Cell Phones says
There are numerous companies offering Lifeline service in each state, John. Don’t give up. You can find all the companies offering free government cell phones in your state here:
https://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/states
Rhonda Lewis says
So true