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New free government cell phone rule: Use it or lose it

May 15, 2015

Millions of people find their Lifeline Assistance free government cell phones to be tremendously helpful. They use them every day to apply for jobs, to communicate with doctors, and to keep in touch with children and parents.

But the government says that if you don’t use it, you lose it. And the FCC recently confirmed that it will de-enroll any Lifeline participant who doesn’t use his or her free government cell phone for 60 consecutive days or more.

The Federal Communications Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau just released an Order (don’t you love the way the government uses capital letters to emphasize the importance of words that would go uncapitalized in any ordinary document) in an attempt to clarify usage rules for Lifeline participants. The Order (with a capital O) puts users of inactive accounts on notice.

The new “use it or lose it ” regulations

Here’s how the USAC Order spells out the new “use it or lose it” rules and regulations:

Subscribers have an obligation to inform their telecommunications carrier if they no longer qualify for Lifeline Program-supported service. Subscribers who become ineligible must de-enroll by contacting their telecommunications carrier directly.

In addition, there are several other situations that might result in a subscriber being de-enrolled from discounts including the following:

If a subscriber is receiving service for which the subscriber is not billed (for example, free wireless service), and the subscriber does not use the service for 60 consecutive days, the telecommunications carrier must provide the subscriber with 30 days notice that failure to use the service within the 30-day notice period will result in termination of program-supported service.

If the subscriber uses the service within the 30-day notice period, the telecommunications carrier shall not terminate program-supported service.

How to make sure your service remains active

We are 100% in agreement with this FCC edict (notice that we did not capitalize the “e” in edict). In effect, it merely requires you to use your free government cell phone once every 90 days (60 days plus the 30 days notice period). That’s hardly a draconian demand.

But keep in mind that there are a number of ways to “use” your free government cell phone. In conversations with USAC, they revealed a number of things you can do. And not all of them involved making phone calls.

Here’s the complete list in the words of USAC:

  • Completion of an outbound call;
  • Purchase of minutes from the eligible telecommunications carrier or the eligible telecommunications carrier’s agent or representative;
  • Answering an incoming call from a party other than the eligible telecommunications carrier or the eligible telecommunications carrier’s agent or representative;
  • Responding to direct contact from the eligible communications carrier and confirming that he or she want[s] to continue receiving the Lifeline service.

In other words, just about the only thing that won’t keep your free government cell phone account active is texting. To repeat, texting alone will NOT keep your account active, but any one of the actions listed above will.

Keep your cell phone account active

The FCC has put a major effort into reforming the Lifeline Assistance program by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse. This Order addresses the waste issue very directly.

It turns out there’s nothing Lifeline Assistance service providers love more than users who sign up for the program but don’t use it. The service provider continue to collect $9.95 per month for each of those inactive accounts without providing any service. In other words, the monthly fee is 100% pure, unadulterated profit sucked from the government teat. And the longer the phones stay inactive, the better for the phone company.

If you haven’t used your free government cell phone for an extended period of time (and we can think of dozens of legitimate reasons why that might occur), do yourself a huge favor: Keep your account active by making a phone call, receiving a phone call, or purchasing extra minutes from your cell phone company.

You will save yourself a lot of trouble down the line.

Tagged as: FCC

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Comments

  1. M. Watts says

    March 15, 2020 at 9:28 am

    How do I wipe the phone clean before giving it away? I don’t have the pin code. The person who had this phone died.

    Reply
    • Free Government Cell Phones says

      March 15, 2020 at 1:37 pm

      Do an online search for the words “User manual” and the make and model of your phone. Once you find it, you should be able to look up that info.

      Reply
  2. Veronica says

    February 21, 2019 at 6:07 am

    I have been change my phone three times, Do i have to return the phones that we don’t use? What can we do whit them? Do they charge a fee if I don’t return them?

    Reply
    • Free Government Cell Phones says

      February 21, 2019 at 6:14 am

      No fee, no charge, no need to return the phone. Just turn it off and forget it.

      Reply
  3. Robert Schumacher says

    December 7, 2017 at 12:50 am

    Gift it to someone?

    Reply
    • Free Government Cell Phones says

      December 8, 2017 at 8:18 pm

      Technically against the rules, Robert.

      Reply
  4. Robert Schumacher says

    December 6, 2017 at 9:32 am

    I received a new cellphone as a gift. Do I have to return my free tracphone or can I just give it to someone else?

    Reply
    • Free Government Cell Phones says

      December 6, 2017 at 10:10 am

      You do not need to return the phone, Robert. In fact, you can keep the phone even after your contract is eventually terminated by you or by the company.

      Reply
  5. Linda Anthony says

    October 8, 2015 at 1:53 pm

    I forgot to re-charge my phone and now it has shut off completely. Please tell me what to do.

    Thanks in advance
    Linda Anthony

    Reply
  6. nancy haanpaa says

    September 29, 2015 at 10:25 am

    I receive Snap benefits and I no longer receive my 250 minutes why is that? I had no problems before this and I use my cell phone.

    Reply
  7. Dolores Marconi says

    September 11, 2015 at 2:29 pm

    My phone has been stolen, when I call the number from another phone it goes straight to mail box as set up.
    What do I do. I have an idea of who took it but cannot prove it; maybe it is just lost.

    Reply
  8. angela says

    September 10, 2015 at 11:54 am

    my phone does not work right anymore, the touch screen is not working plus im getting texts for another account in which it is using up my mins…how do i get another phone from them, i have had it a long time

    Reply
  9. david says

    August 29, 2015 at 10:25 am

    My phone was stolen and I cannot get a new one without a number ot call
    does anyone know the number to call to replace your phone

    Reply
    • FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net says

      August 30, 2015 at 11:22 am

      https://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/faq/i-lost-my-phone-how-do-i-get-a-replacement

      Reply
  10. Eduardo Lacbain says

    July 13, 2015 at 8:19 pm

    I want to have a phone but I cannot buy one , Hope I can have the free cell phone ,

    Reply
    • FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net says

      July 14, 2015 at 10:28 am

      We hope so too. Good luck.

      Reply
  11. mimi says

    June 10, 2015 at 12:25 am

    My aunt has Medicaid. She has her own service carrier. She does want to swith the service carrier. She only needs a free goverment cell phone. How does she do that? Where can she get just free goverment cell phone?

    Thanks
    mimi

    Reply
  12. Kristina Fueston says

    May 16, 2015 at 8:06 pm

    Curious about free government phone.Wondering minutes text n calling? Do they have touch phone.vplease email me *******@yahoo.com information.

    Reply
  13. jeri baker says

    May 15, 2015 at 8:20 am

    How many mins comes with the phone that I got I live with my boyfriend uncle and I use this address he wanted to know if he can get one please

    Reply
    • FreeGovernmentCellPhones.net says

      May 16, 2015 at 7:14 am

      From 250 minutes to unlimited, depending upon the provider and the state you are in. You need to click on “States” in the navigation bar above and begin by picking your state.

      Reply
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