Saturday, April 13, 2024

Free Cell Phone If You Get Food Stamps

The Food Stamp Recipients Guide To Getting A Free Smartphone

KGBT ARCHIVES: Food Stamp recipients now get free cell phones

You know the drillanother month, another hefty cell phone bill. Are you able to afford this monthly expense, or are you considering having to cut off your cell service in order to pay for something else?

Many families and individuals alike face the same cell phone conundrum at the end of each billing cycle. If youve been worried about how youre going to make those pennies stretch to afford a pricey device and the data/talk/text services that go along with it, you can finally breathe a sigh of relief!

Assist Wireless is the #1 provider of the Lifeline program in Oklahoma. With the Lifeline program, low-income families are able to see if they qualify for cost-efficient cell phones and subsidized servicesand sometimes at NO COST!

Have you heard about phones some people call the SNAP phone or food stamp phone? They are not official terms, but rather just what some people call them. In reality, if you are the recipient of government benefits such as SNAP/Food Stamps, you may qualify for Lifeline and the opportunity to get a free phone.

The Lifeline Assistance Program

If you are the recipient of SNAP/Food Stamps, how can you get a free phone?

There are two ways that an individual and/or a family can qualify for one of these phoneseither through low-income eligibility or program participation eligibility.

  • SNAP , also known as Food Stamps
  • FPHA
  • Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit
  • BIA
  • FDPIR
  • Tribal TANF
  • Why should you choose Assist Wireless?

    Why Is The Government Doing This

    Lifeline is provided by the US government to help ensure that low-income consumers can afford 21st-century broadband and the access it provides to jobs, education, and opportunities.

    How Does the Program Work?

    Lifeline is available to eligible low-income subscribers in every state, territory, commonwealth, and on Tribal lands.

    To participate in the program, subscribers must either have an income that is at or below 135% of the federal Poverty Guidelines or participate in the assistance programs listed below.

    The following is a list of assistance programs that qualify a participant for Lifeline:

    • Medicaid
    • Federal Public Housing Assistance

    Apply for Georgia Lifeline Cell Phone, Home Phone or Internet

    If you live in the state of Georgia and are on Food Stamps, you can apply for a Lifeline Cell Phone Service, Home Phone, or Home Internet Broadband Service. Note that you can only select one of the programs so you can either use your lifeline credit towards a cell phone plan, or home phone plan or broadband internet plan.

    How to Apply

    Step 1

    To apply, you have to contact the provider for the service you are interested in below. Scroll down to see our list of lifeline program providers for cell phone, home phone or internet broadband service in Georgia.

    Step 2

    Also Check: Az Food Stamps Online

    Check For Government Surplus

    Government surplus stores can be a great source for used but still functional computers. At our local state surplus store, we can usually snag a decent laptop or desktop computer for $50 or less. In fact, thats how we acquired homeschool computers for our five kiddos!

    If travelling to your states surplus store is not an option, you can still browse sites like GovDeals.com and PropertyRoom.com.

    Read Also: Www Azdes Gov Renewal Application

    Want To Know More About The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program And Lifeline

    The Supplementary Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP is a free government program that provides food stamps, EBT cards and EBT transfer for families in need.

    The Lifeline program has been around since 1985 and it helps low-income families, seniors, disabled individuals and other qualified persons pay for their monthly phone services.

    The Safety Net Free Cell Phone Initiative Is Backed By The Governmentheres What That Means For You

    Whats My EBT Balance? This Free App Tells You

    Safetynetwireless.com free phone assistance program is a 100% government-backed program, just in case you were having any doubt about its legitimacy. It is an offshoot of the Greater Lifeline Assistance initiative whose mission was to hand out free cell phones accompanied by a comprehensive monthly service to US residents who are in dire need of financial aid.

    You see, even though we are decades past the infamous Great Recession, millions of Americans are still finding it incredibly hard to make a decent living and pay their bills on time. These safety net phones ensure that you do not have to choose between footing your communication-related bills and, for instance, buying a nutritious meal should you find yourself hard pressed financially. And considering that the price tag standard reasonably-priced smartphone hovers around $500 or thereabout, this would obviously be a huge ask for a household that can barely afford to put a decent meal on the table.

    That being said, safenet mobile is just one among many authorized and established phone companies that the government has tasked with the mandate to give millions of destitute people access to free cell phone programs. These phones, however, gimmicky the idea sounds on paper can be very instrumental in changing peoples lives if the idea is well-utilized.

    You May Like: Income Limit For Food Stamps Oregon

    Safetynet Eligibility Checkdo You Really Qualify

    That aside, eligibility to be awarded safety wireless phones remains almost uniform when moving from one state to the other. Still, qualification is still heavily linked to participation in other existing federal aid programs such as Medicaid, SSI, and Food Stamps etc. Nonetheless, each state could have its own extra-curricular ways through which eligible members could also use them to qualify. Besides, if you are not a participant in any of the pre-listed programs, you can still be able to qualify via the lifeline income limits criteria.

    The bottom line here remains that it is incredibly easy for you to qualify for a free government cell phone so long as you are an upstanding member of the society. The California lifeline income limits, for instance, have recently been expanded to accommodate more people from a higher tax bracket than it would be the case in other states. This is based on the understanding that systemic inflation has been eating into peoples savings to the extent that people who would traditionally not require any financial assistance from the government are now staring down the barrel of poverty.

    Important Terms and Conditions of Using safetynet.com Free Government Cell Phones

    Just like any regular paid service that you use every day, there are several important pointers that you have to familiarize yourself with, should you be considering getting a ssi free phone with SafetyNet Wireless.

    Does Sams Club Accept Ebt

    Sams Club currently accepts SNAP, also called EBT cards at all club locations but not for any online purchases. You must be a member to use SNAP at Sams Club. SNAP cards are also known as Electronic Benefits Transfer cards or food stamps. For information on applying for SNAP benefits, call 800-221-5689.

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    Zoo Tickets Deeply Discounted

    Another fun activity to do with the kids is visit the Zoo. However,if youve ever been you know that simply purchasing tickets can wreck yourbudget. Luckily, many zoos provide discounted tickets when you present your EBTcard.

    For instance, the Cincinnati Zoo in Ohio only charges $6 peradult ticket and $3 per childs ticket Theyallow you to purchase up to 8 tickets. All you have to do is show your EBT cardand a photo ID.

    A simple Google search can help you find reduced zoo ticketsnear you.

    Look For Refurbished And Off

    ZTE ZMAX 2 Food Stamp Phone Review

    Retailers and manufacturers often sell good machines at a discount. These machines usually include warranties but are discounted for various reasons.

    • Refurbished laptops and other machines have been owned previously but were returned due to some sort of malfunction. Theyve been fixed up and are working again but theyre always sold for less.
    • Scratch and dent laptops and other machines have surface damage. They may have scratches, dents or other cosmetic flaws but they still function perfectly. However, they are less attractive so theyre sold for less.
    • Corporate off-lease laptops and other machines have been returned following a lease period. Often, companies will lease machines for two to three years and then return them for an upgrade. Refurbished business laptops are often a better quality than other refurbished machines because they were used for business and werent returned because of a defect.

    Read Also: Food Stamp Office Tulsa Ok

    What Are Proof Of Participation Documents

    Proof of Eligibility documents are copies of your cards or letters that show you are currently participating in a Government program. Receiving your Proof of Eligibility documents is necessary for American Assistance to approve your application and ship out your smartphone. By sending your Proof of Eligibility documents, we are able to verify your eligibility and your identity.

    Free Government Cell Phones: Which Phones You Can Get

    The various carriers that participate in the Lifeline Assistance program do a pretty good job of giving their customers some great options in terms of cheap or free phones.

    Take Assurance: the carrier offers a host of smartphones like the Alcatel Dawn, Kyocrea Hydro Reach and ZTE Prestige 2. Or Truconnect: they sell the NUU A3 and ZTE Warp Elite N9518.

    Alcatel

    Unfortunately some of these carriers arenât very forthcoming with their phone lineups until after you go through the qualification process. However, doing so will help you determine what kind of stipend youâre working with for your free or cheap government phone.

    Also Check: Apply For Food Stamps San Diego

    Also Check: Ky Snap Application

    What Do I Need To Know About Lifeline Cell Phone Minutes And Texting

    Most Lifeline wireless plans give you a maximum number of minutes per month. Check how many minutes you get, to see if a plan will work for you.

    You use minutes when you:

    • make any phone call â including toll-free numbers,
    • get calls, and
    • listen to voicemail.

    If you use more than your free minutes, you have to buy extra minutes. Extra minutes are expensive. You may also have to buy minutes just to get your voicemail.

    Many people who have Lifeline run out of minutes quickly, and then nobody can reach them. Be sure to give people who need to get in touch with you a back up phone number. Ask a friend or family member if you can use their number as a back up. Be careful about giving your Lifeline number to your social worker, probation officer or other people who need to reach you. If you use your Lifeline phone to call a court or an agency for a hearing, tell them you have limited minutes so they do not put you on hold or delay the matter.

    When proving participation in the lifeline assistance programs, you need to submit a document that includes:

    • Name of the person applying for these services
    • Name of the program, like Medicaid
    • Tribal or government administrator or managed care organization that provided the document
    • Date of insurance with the last one or a future date of expiry that matches with the benefit period.
    • If your familys revenue is less than 135% of the state poverty guidelines, you might qualify for a lifeline program discount.

    What If You Already Have A Phone

    How to Get a Free Cell Phone through Food Stamps  TAG Mobile

    Do you already have a phone that you know and enjoy? If you join EASY Wireless you can keep your current phone and earn an extra 12GB of data for free!

    EASY Wireless offers a Bring Your Own Phone program for those who already have a working device. This program allows you to keep your own compatible device, by installing a free EASY Wireless SIM card.

    Recommended Reading: Food Stamp Office Greenspoint

    How Do I Get Free Phones With Food Stamps

    In the age of technology and internet advancement, everybody will be connected online nicely. No matter what background you have right now, it is important to ensure your participation in this virtual world. A phone, especially a smartphone, is one of the most important devices that can be used to accomplish all types of works such as government website visits, online shopping, getting information on education, study, science, and what is happening around the world. A smartphone is not cheap at all and so many people dont afford to buy a smartphone indeed.

    In addition to the smartphone, the internet may be costly, and people may not afford to buy high-speed internet. Luckily there are many platforms to get a free phone with food stamps, a free tablet, and a free laptop. As part of the access to the internet and virtual world, there is an EBB program free laptop to make sure eligible low-income people can get connected nicely and dont have to be disconnected anyway. So we are going to discuss some programs on the free phone with food stamps that determine your eligibility and how to get a free phone as well.

    What Is Lifeline Program

    The LifeLine government assistance program started in 1985 to help households, at or below the poverty level line, afford a means of communication.

    The California LifeLine Program is a state program that provides discounted home phone and cell phone services to eligible households.

    The California LifeLine discounts help consumers lower the cost of their phone bills.

    Only one discount per household is allowed.

    Each household must choose to get the discount either on a home phone or on a cell phone, but not on both.

    Recommended Reading: How To Apply For Medicaid And Food Stamps In Texas

    What Can I Do With 6gb Of Data

    According to Assurance Wireless, with 6GB of data, you can:

    With 6GB of data a month you can:

    • Send 750 text-only emails, view 1500 web pages and listen to 60 hours of streaming music and talk using a web app for 60 hours, OR
    • Stream 15 hours of video

    Note that data speeds may vary. These examples are estimates. Actual data usage varies by App and streaming quality.

    How Much Assistance Does Snap Provide

    FREE GOVERNMENT CELL PHONE HELP WELFARE FOOD STAMPS WE HELP ANYONE

    SNAP funds are automatically loaded onto an electronic benefit transfer card each month, which works just like a debit card. The amount that each household receives depends mainly on how many people live in it. The following chart provides an example of the maximum amount of money that households can qualify for.

    People in Household
    $1,169

    Read Also: Elizabethtown Ky Food Stamp Office

    Finding Other Ways To Obtain A Free Cell Phone

  • 1Ask someone close to you for a new cell phone as a birthday or anniversary present. Many phones arent too expensive, and with all the new technology available with smartphones theyre a gift that keeps on giving. You arent just getting a new phone, youre getting a camera and a gaming device, too.
  • If someone is hesitant to get you a cell phone as a present, remind them how you can use it to keep in touch with them. Its like getting a gift for both of you.
  • Lots of great deals on cell phones pop up around the holidays. Drop a few hints to family or friends and let them bring you some joy next holiday season.
  • 2Ask someone for their old phone if they get a new one. Its a simple way to help them get rid of unneeded clutter and it a great opportunity to pick up a new cell phone at no cost. Many people end up with boxes of old technology , ask around and see if anybody would be willing to give away an old phone. One mans trash is another mans treasure!
  • 3Enter raffles, sweepstakes, and other contests. Search the web for opportunities to win a free phone as a prize. Companies often offer new technology as a draw for obtaining email addresses to send newsletters and other offers later on. If you think you can resist the marketing, take the risk. Youve got nothing to lose and a new phone to gain!Advertisement
    • If I get a free cell phone, how long will it take to get it?Community AnswerOnce approved, you can usually go to the store that same day and get your phone.Thanks!

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