subject: What Is Government Free Phones Program? [print this page] Cellular phones are very much necessary and it won't be overwhelming to state that just like your basic life necessities without which you cannot live, mobile phones have become equally essential. Since past few years, due to growing competition and enhancement in cellular and telecommunication technology, the prices of mobile services have declined considerably. Even then there are individuals who find it difficult to maintain cellular service for them. The government free phones services are aimed at providing such individuals free cellular phone services up to 250 minutes/month for local and long distance calls.
Since the main motive behind this program is to provide government free phones facility to individuals who cannot afford to maintain regular cellular service, government has narrowed down the distribution by introducing eligibility criteria. According to the rules, only those qualified individuals who come under low-income group, are disabled or are unemployed can avail of this facility.
Upgrading the basic version
This free phone from the government is allotted to only one person in one household and cannot be transferred. It is equipped with basic cellular facilities offered by Virgin Mobile, USA. But if you are interested in upgrading your phone with other facilities such as SMS, MMS or more minutes of call, then you can avail of this facility by paying a small amount for the services. These wireless free phones from assurance are only available in restricted states including Ohio, Florida, New York, Alabama, West Virginia, Arkansas, South Carolina, District of Columbia, New Hampshire, Michigan, North Carolina, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Michigan, New Jersey, and more.
Applying for government free phones
Government has divided the eligibility criteria into two divisions:
Income associated criteria
Government assistance criteria
For an individual fulfilling all the above eligibility requirements, it is important to get themselves signed up for:
SSI (Supplementary security income)
Medicaid
Food stamps,
Temporary assistance
Federal public housing assistance
Free dining programs and much more
Irrespective of the count of the family members, one phone per house is made available absolutely free.
Checking up with the website
The official site carries complete information regarding government free phones program and you easily go through all the pages to understand the basic eligibility criteria and the documents required for getting your application approved by the government. The application form is available on the website from where you can easily download it, fill it and along with the relevant papers can send it to the address mentioned in the website.
Only restricted 17 states from 50 states have been allotted this facility and hence before filling the application, you should make sure whether your state comes in the list of these 17 states or not.
