No one can deny the fact that a cell phone is extremely essential for each one of us. Our connectivity to the world depends on a mobile phone. A cell phone helps us stay in touch with our friends and family at all times. More importantly, a cell phone is used as an essential business tool today. In fact, there are a number of businesses that are run and managed solely through a cell phone. There are also important job interviews that are conducted only through a mobile phone. Nevertheless, with the increasing costs of everything, for many people cell phone is nothing but an added bill to be paid at the end of the month.
There is now a free government cell phone service that is offering people free cell phones. The plan is available throughout the country but the terms and conditions and the offers provided in different states are different.
The free cellular phone service is guided by Lifeline, which is a federal program that provides a discount on basic phone service making it more affordable to low-income families. The basic guidelines state that the person applying should already be receiving benefits from one of the seven federal assistance programs. These are- Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8), Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly Food Stamps), Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Medicaid, National School Lunch Program’s Free Lunch Program, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), and Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF).
Other guidelines for this free government assisted cell phone plan are- if the applicant is not using any of the government assistance programs, they can apply only if their household income is at or below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. No family member of the applicant must be receiving Lifeline benefits and the applicant has to sign a certificate of eligibility. They also have to provide a proof of eligibility.
