“I live in a homeless shelter. Do I qualify for a free government cell phone?”
“I had to leave my home last week and move into a battered women’s shelter. How can I get a free government cell phone?”
“Help! I live in a small boarding house so five of us share the same address. I was denied Lifeline/ACP service.”
If you read the comments section found below many of our articles, you know that questions like the ones above are very important to many of our readers.
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The original rules of the Lifeline program did not provide a way to distinguish between a family of five living in the same house and five individuals living in a group home, or five friends or family members living independently in the same household. But that flaw has been fixed so it is now possible for residents of group homes and people sharing a home can now qualify for individual Lifeline/Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) phones.
All they need to do is fill out a Lifeline Household Exemption form.
The Lifeline Household Exemption form is an official document that can be used to request an exemption from the Lifeline program’s household eligibility regulation.
To be eligible for an exemption, a household (and the individuals who inhabit that household) must meet certain criteria. For example, John and Janeka and Anonymous, the readers quoted at the top of this FAQ, may be eligible for exemptions because they live in separate living quarters within the same household. In this case, the household may be able to request an exemption to allow all of them to receive Lifeline/ACP-supported phones or internet service.
To request an exemption, they must fill out the Lifeline Household Exemption form and submit it to their state’s Lifeline program administrator. All eligible individuals in the household must sign the form and submit proof of their eligibility for the Lifeline program.
If their exemption request is approved, the household will be able to receive more than one Lifeline-supported phone or internet service.
You can find an example of the worksheet, along with further information, on the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC)’s website here. You can also view a copy of a sample worksheet by clicking the thumbnail to the left.
Many Lifeline Assistance free government cell phone companies now attempt to make this clear by including the bolded statement on their websites. Others, like Assurance Wireless, clarify the situation with their own statements:
“Separate households that live at the same address are eligible, including residents of homeless shelters and nursing homes. Residents with temporary addresses are also eligible. A household is define as any individual or group of individuals who live together at the same address and share income and expenses.”
Some cities are now actively seeking out individuals who didn’t qualify for the program under the old rules.
For example, SFGate.com wrote about Bevan Dufty, the head of San Francisco’s municipal homeless initiative and part of the the city’s Coalition on Homelessness.
“Dufty said that in the coming weeks he will send representatives to low-income housing complexes, homeless shelters and other places where people will want to know how to apply for the free phones.”
“‘We are very excited by this,’ he said. ‘It will help people move forward. It will empower them, and we in San Francisco are going to be a model city for this program.'”
If you live in a group home or shelter, and feel you qualify, give one of the Lifeline cell phone companies a call and be sure to tell them you are requesting the “one-per-household worksheet.” You can find a list of phone providers by state when you click here.
Jenn Such says
I was just relocated to a local motel ,under a homeless rescue program, how can I get my own phone tablet and service under these conditions I am on SSI, EBT and medicaid I need to keep number but this phone is broken has no sound available
Free Government Cell Phones says
First thing you should do is contact your service provider to give them your new street address. Ask them if they will replace a broke phone for free. It’s doubtful, but it can’t Hurd to ask. They will probably required you to pay for a replacement phone. If you can afford to buy your own phone, that’s one option.
The other option is to transfer your service to a different company that offers free phone plans. You will be considered a new customer and be given a phone. Which provider and plan to choose? You can find all the providers and
plans available in your state here:
https://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/states
One warning, though: Make sure you are enrolling in a plan that provides the free phone. Many of the Lifeline plans now offer only SIM cards.
Donald Anderson says
I live in a residential housing facility and am on my own .Someone else here has a government phone that I don’t know and I would like to have my own phone .
Free Government Cell Phones says
You can find all the companies offering plans in your state at this link:
https://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/states
Danielle Frederick says
My little girl is only 10.She needs to be able to have communication with me.Im disabled on ssa.I don’t understand why or how people would even want to take advantage of this program because the phones are not good quality phones. You basically can only use them for communication or downloading maybe one or two games if you’re even lucky. Us parents that are poor and disabled need to be able to have communication with our children it is not my fault that I am on disability it’s just how things worked out. Why should my daughter suffer or me in that matter if I’m unable to get in contact with her she needs her own phone too!!!!!I have a safelink wireless phone so they’re saying since I have one my daughter cannot! That makes absolutely no sense to me!?????
Free Government Cell Phones says
Unfortunately, Danielle, that has always been one of the primary rules of the Lifeline program.
Jeanne McNulty says
Can a senior citizen who is on Medicaid and in a nursing home get a free government phone?
Free Government Cell Phones says
Sounds like you’d be perfectly qualified, Jeanne. However, since you’re living in a group home, you’ll need to tell that to the customer service rep and make sure you sign a group home exemption.
Pam Williams says
I am Social Services at a Nursing home. Do my members qualify for a free government phone evn though they all have the same address? This has been our problem in the past.
Free Government Cell Phones says
Yes, they are all entitled to an exemption to the one-per-household rule. Read the article above for all the details.
Maria Soifakis says
How can I get a copy of this form to use for my agency?
Free Government Cell Phones says
Contact any of the service providers listed in your state. Here’s where you can find them:
https://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/states
You can try searching their websites, and if they don’t make it available there, you’ll need to call their customer service teams at the phone numbers we’ve listed.
Rachel says
I live in a homeless shelter, and assurance says they no longer provide service to the address.
Free Government Cell Phones says
We can’t explain why they say they don’t and take them at their word. However, there are many other companies you can enroll with in your state. Here’s where you can find details on all of them:
https://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/states
Patricia says
I live with my sister and pay half of all bill and rent. She has a government phone. Can I get one too
Free Government Cell Phones says
Maybe. It sounds as if you may qualify, but you’ll need to fill out a form that allows you to request a variance in the one-per-household rule. Call your chosen service provider, ask to speak to a supervisor and discuss your situation and ask or the form.
Alicia Kutch says
The homeless day center in Athens GA has been blacklisted. I live outside in a tent and an trying to find a job. Why is the only place homeless people in Athens can use as a mailing address blacklisted and what can I do to get my phone turned back on?
Free Government Cell Phones says
We do not have any info on that situation, Alicia. Can you tell us where to find out more?
Brandi Wilson says
I have two adults in the household myself and another adult who already has a government phone however we do not share expenses food we are completely separate me and my son we are currently on food stamps and access do I qualify for a second phone with the same address again we’re separate families
Free Government Cell Phones says
Yes, it sounds as if you qualify, but you need to fill out the exemption form that any of the service providers can give you.
Karen jones says
I would like a cell phone
Free Government Cell Phones says
Then you should enroll in one of the plans, Karen.
Jacob says
I have a question in the group home category about applying for a cellphone. I currently live with family, however there is a woman living with us who is not related to us paying rent to the household to live here. She is currently on Q-Link Lifeline program. I am also currently paying rent and am on SNAP Foodstamps program and need a cellphone in order to find myself a job. Would I be able to apply for a cellphone if i am living with an unrelated person in the same household who is also on the lifeline program?
Free Government Cell Phones says
It sounds as if you both qualify, but you should doublecheck it with your preferred service provider.
Margaret Krimmer says
My disabled son lives in a 4-person group home in Wisconsin. I know that none of the other residents have a cell phone as they are non verbal.
My son receives SSI, which pays for various expenses.
He also receives Medicaid. The State of Wisconsin under Easter Seals Wisconsin pays his expenses through that funding. His SSI is used for clothes, outings, personal items, etc.
Would he qualify? The group has their own landline.
Free Government Cell Phones says
It certainly sounds as if he would qualify. Residents of group homes are eligible to receive free government cell phones, but you must make sure you speak to customer service and fill out the proper “group home” forms.
Pete The Florida SafeLink Guy says
As a Florida Safelink Agent… I can say that the key to qualifying as a resident of a shelter, group home or nursing home, is that you’re identified as an individual household and do not share expenses with any of the other residents.
However, with SafeLink, there were instances where an address for a shelter was blocked as an invalid residence address, and I had to call support to have that shelter address unblocked.
Latoya says
It’s very frustrating when so much of the system is based on calling to receive services. Your statement says, “If you live in a group home or shelter, and feel you qualify, give one of the Lifeline cell phone companies a call and be sure to tell them you are requesting the ‘one-per-household worksheet.’” How are people to call to get a free phone, when they don’t have a phone?…
Free Government Cell Phones says
Borrow a phone from a friend or neighbor, Latoya. Or apply online at your chosen Lifeline company’s website.
Bob McCall says
Applying online doesn’t work. The address of the shelter is not accepted by the system. Calling
does little good. I called Safelink and never got the application they said they would mail to me.
An hour on the phone for nothing! What a joke! Getting the address of a shelter unblocked would be nice but I don’t know how to do it. The operators that you talk at these companies can’t do much except fill an application out over the phone. They are of very little help. The system is really broken. Four months trying to get a phone!
Free Government Cell Phones says
Here’s how you go about getting a phone when you live in a group home, Bob:
http://www.usac.org/_res/documents/LI/training/2012/2012-li-dc-household-worksheet.pdf
This is a common problem and the USAC is very experienced at helping people in your situation.
Amanda Rivera says
Hi, my name is Amanda Rivera. I am currently in a Hope for Youth Shelter and i was wondering if I qualify for an assurance phone. If so, what would i need to do ?
Free Government Cell Phones says
Are you 18, Amanda? The rules of the program say you need to be 18 or older to qualify. Go back over the article above to learn more.
Jeannie Bateman says
Does a person in a nursing home qualify for a free phone
Free Government Cell Phones says
They don’t qualify because they’re in a nursing home, but they may qualify for other reasons, Jeannie. Here’s a list of all the ways you can qualify:
https://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/basics/qualify
Jeremy Dickenson says
Im in a group home can you help show me what to do to get a free Phone I’m having troubles doing this I need help maybe doing the hole thing I need a one per house Work sheet thank you
Free Government Cell Phones says
First, go through the list of free government cell phone companies in California. You can find that list here:
https://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/states
Go through the list to find the plan that fits your needs best — the most minutes, most texts, data plan, etc. Then contact the company you choose to ask for that “one-per-household work sheet.” Good luck, Jeremy.
Janelle says
if you filled out the application wrong how long will it take to make a correction? Or will that be impossible if you apply online?
Free Government Cell Phones says
Contact your service provider’s customer service team by phone (if possible) or do an online chat. If you can’t correct the mistake, you should be able to apply again.
Mary says
I am inquiring about the free government cell phone for a few of our residents that live in our assisted living facility. Would more than 1 person in our assisted living facility qualify, and if so, how would I go about helping them get qualified? Thanks
edward jp says
you need to get some kind of government assistance AND be below 15k income for single….
Larry Like says
My wife is in a nursing home and she has filed for Medicaid. I’m pretty sure she will be approved. Will she be eligible for a free cell phone and 250 minutes a month so that her family can keep in better contact with her if approved.