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.
Lifeline and ACP free government cell phone service 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:
How to qualify for Lifeline Assistance free government cell phones 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 | $18,347 | |
| 2 members | $24,719 | |
| 3 members | $31,091 | |
| 4 members | $37,463 | |
| 5 members | $43,835 | |
| 6 members | $50,207 | |
| 7 members | $56,579 | |
| 8 members | $62,951 | |
| For each additional member add $6,372 annually | ||
How to qualify for an ACP free government phone and unlimited service in Alabama
It’s even easier to qualify for ACP service than it is to qualify for Lifeline service. The USAC website spells it all out:
Consumers qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) through participation in Lifeline or a Lifeline-qualifying program, having an income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, through participation in ACP-qualifying programs, such as the free and reduced-price school lunch or breakfast program (including the Community Eligibility Provision), WIC, through award of a federal Pell Grant, or through participation in a participating service provider’s existing low-income program.
What are you waiting for? Choose your favorite service provider and favorite plan and the future is, well, almost unlimited.
Latest Lifeline and ACP News in Alabama:
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