If there were ever a state that needed the Lifeline program and whose citizens could really benefit from it, that state would be Alabama.
The statistics do not paint a pretty economic picture in Alabama. Due to the recession in which we now find ourselves, more people and making less and need more public assistance to survive and more people are sinking into poverty.
According to the latest statistics we could find, 17.5% of Alabama residents, a staggering 804,683 people, fall below the poverty line. That’s not only higher than the national figure (14.3%), it’s a 13.1% increase from the previous year.
Shockingly, 340,000 Alabamans now live in deep poverty, which is defined by the Census Bureau as an income less than half the poverty level.
Help is on the way, Alabama! The Lifeline program is now available in your state. You may be eligible for a free telephone and 250 free minutes each month. Just imagine how much that could help you land a job, talk to your doctor, and stay in touch with your children.
Here’s how to get the phone in Alabama
If you live in the state of Alabama, you can contact the following cell phone companies about getting a free phone and at least 250 minutes of free minutes, thanks to the government’s Lifeline program (Low Income Program of the Universal Service Fund).
You may be one of the more than 647,400 households eligible for the service in Alabama. We certainly hope you are not, but if you are, at least you know the government will help you to get a cell phone at no cost.
Free Cell Phone Providers in Alabama:
Here’s a list of all the Lifeline Assistance free government cell phones in Alabama. They all offer different plans with different numbers of minutes, different refill options, and serve different geographic areas. So click through them all and find the plan that’s best for you.
Lifeline Discount Companies in Alabama
If you qualify for Lifeline Assistance, but you find that none of the companies offer free government cell phones where you live, you have another option. The companies below, while not offering free cell phone plans, do offer substantial Lifeline discounts off their regular mobile phone plans in Alabama:
Lifeline Assistance Eligibility in Alabama:
You are eligible if you receive benefits from any of these programs in Alabama:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps or SNAP)
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8)
- Veterans Pension and Survivor's Benefit.
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance (BIA)
- Tribally Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF)
- Tribal Head Start (only those households meeting its income qualifying standard)
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
You may also qualify if your Total Household Income is at or under 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. The chart below shows the income levels, calculated at 135% for you:
| Income Based Eligibility for Alabama | ||
|---|---|---|
| Members in Household | Annual income | |
| 1 member | $16,389 | |
| 2 members | $22,221 | |
| 3 members | $28,053 | |
| 4 members | $33,885 | |
| 5 members | $39,717 | |
| 6 members | $45,549 | |
| 7 members | $51,381 | |
| 8 members | $57,213 | |
| For each additional member add $5,832 annually | ||
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