Free Government Phone - Do You Qualify?

Having a cell phone has become a necessity.

The economy is in bad shape and many families are struggling to keep the bills paid on time. A free government phone is available for eligible low income families and individuals. A cell phone is no longer a luxury. In this day and age it has become a necessity. Everyone needs a means of communication in case of an emergency. Single, working moms needs to be accessible for their children's school. Everyone needs to be able to call for help if their car breaks down on the road. Disabled, shut-ins, and elderly citizens need to have a means of contacting family and others if help is needed. The reasons goes on and on.

So how do you receive a free government phone and what are the qualifications? There are two major communications companies that have a free cell phone program for low income, disabled, and elderly citizens. SafeLink Wireless is giving a free cell phone and up to 250 free monthly minutes to eligible persons. Virgin Mobile is the other company offering a free cell phone and 200 free monthly minutes to qualified citizens.

Both free cell phone programs are similar. The main difference is the states which are participating in their programs. SafeLink Wireless has been around for a longer period of time so it's free government phone program is available in more states than SafeLink Wireless. See a list of states participating in SafeLink's free cell phone program here. Virgin Mobile's free cell phone program is relatively new. There are fewer states participating in Virgin Mobile free cell phone program so far. There are only about 10 states with them so far. Both companies plan to add more states to it's free government phone program by the end of the year.

To be eligible for either of the two free cell phone programs applicants must have a total household income of a certain amount below the poverty level in their state. The amount varies by state, but typically if the applicant is receiving governmental assistance they probably qualify for a free cell phone and free phone service. Some of the governmental assistance programs are SSI, Food Stamps, and Section 8 housing.

Complete details and applications can be found on SafeLink Wireless and Virgin Mobile website.

SafeLink Wireless Increases Free Monthly Minutes to 250

The free cell phone program by TracFone and SafeLink Wireless has increased the number of free monthly minutes it offers to 250. They used to offer only 68 monthly minutes of free phone service.

This shows that SafeLink Wireless will not be out done. What may have caused their increase in free monthly minutes is Virgin Mobile's launch of it's own free cell phone program for low income families. They recently started their program through their subsidiary company called Assurance Wireless. One of the "bragging" points of their program was that they give 200 free monthly minutes.

Well the competition between the two companies mean good things for the participants in the programs. They benefit. The only down side is that not all states are participating in programs. Virgin Mobile has fewer than SafeLink Wireless because their program is relatively new. They expect to add more states by the end of the year. Check out my previous post to see which states are participating in the programs. If your state is not included in one of them, check the other one.

In this new move, it seems as SafeLink Wireless is saying, "Take that!". Now, I wonder if Virgin Mobile and Assurance Wireless will match or exceed the 250 minutes of free phone service offered by SafeLink. :-)  

Low Income Families, Disabled & Elderly Citizens Can Get A 100% Free Cell Phone From Virgin Mobile

Virgin Mobile has launched a new program giving a free cell phone and free phone service to low income families. You can also get a free cell phone from them if you’re a disabled or elderly citizen.

You may have already heard about the free cell phone program by TracFone and SafeLink wireless. They have been giving free cell phones and 68 (recently updated to 250) free minutes every month to low income families, the disabled and elderly citizens. Now, Virgin Mobile is entering the scene by offering a free cell phone program of their own called Assurance Wireless. They are offering a free cell phone and 200 free monthly minutes. (Update: You may be eligible for up to 250 free monthly minutes per recent changes to the program).

The Virgin Mobile program is fairly new so there are only a hand full of states participating so far. The current list of participating states are Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. However, they expect to add more states by the end of the year. (NOTE: If your state is not participating in the Virgin Mobile Free Cell Phone program, check to see if your state is participating in SafeLink's Free Cell Phone program.)

You may qualify for a free cell phone and free phone service if you participate in any of the following.

• Medicaid
• Food Stamp program
• Supplemental Security Income
• Bureau of Indian Affairs programs
• Federal Public Housing Assistance/ Section 8
• National School Lunch Program’s Free Lunch program

You can learn more about Virgin Mobile’s Assurance Wireless free cell phone program and how to get a free cell phone by calling their toll free phone number 1-888-898-4888 or visiting www.AssuranceWireless.com.