Free government phone.
A low income family or single person can get a free government cell phone in their state. Wireless and cable companies are required to provide devices to people so that the household will have some form of access to communication. All types of free phones are provided by the government benefit program known as Lifeline or Linkup, including the latest model smartphones or a landline too. Find how a low-income family or those on government benefit programs will get a free cell phone from the government.
The assistance program is for low income families, with focus on seniors or disabled adults who often need a phone for emergency communications. Note that the main name of the free government phone program is Lifeline or Linkup, but it can be called different names in different states. The various telecommunication, cell phone or wireless companies may also refer to it by different names as well, but they will provide free cell phones of the latest models including Apple iPhones, Google Pixels or Samsung Galaxies phones
Reasons why low-income families can get a free phone from Lifeline
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The main reason that the government provides free phones or cell service to low-income families is to ensure they can communicate during a crisis. Other reasons for Lifeline/LinkUp include so that struggling families have a way to apply for a job, work from home, or learn new skills. The program was created by the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) to ensure that all households have access to some means of communication.
The fact is that many families struggle to purchase an expensive cell phone, even more so an Apple iPhone or Samsung. Or people with no money or income struggle to pay the deposits to start the service at their home. Or they can’t pay the monthly service, Internet or data bills, or struggle to pay for a landline. All these reasons are why the government helps the low-income get a free phone. Lifeline (or a state’s equivalent) is paid for using the fees that every household already pays on their phone bills each month.
Many of the people who get a free phone from the government live on a fixed income. This includes a person on SSI disability or SNAP food stamps, or maybe a senior citizen living on a pension or social security payments. Or maybe the household is facing a short term crisis, such as the loss of a job. The up front as well as recurring savings from this government created phone plan can really add up.
National phone companies give out free cell phones from the government program
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Lifeline (or the equivalent in your state) is the solution offered by most states as well as cell phone or cable companies. There are a number of national companies that provide the free government landline or cell phone services to consumers. Many of them give out a free cell phone with a prepaid, no contract account. In some ways this also benefits the witless company as it may help them develop a long term relationship with the customer. ATT, Verizon, Assurance/TMobile, SafeLink, Boost Mobile and other companies either give a free smartphone or pay the customer to get one.
- Apple iPhones may be provided. The government will give free Apple cell phones or even an iPad to low-income households. Will in general it may be a model year 1-2 years old, some companies give the latest iPhone from the government Lifeline program. Find a free government iPhone.
- There are also Samsung devices, including the Galaxy smartphone given away for free by the government. Learn more on a free government Samsung phone.
- Tablets can be provided at the same time (or in lieu of) a cell phone too from the government. Learn more on how to get a free government tablet with EBT.
Not only may a free smartphone be given, but many wireless (or even cable companies) also help with connecting to the internet with free or affordable plans. As there are government programs for this as well. Locate free government internet service.
The telecommunication companies will often (but not always) require a contract to be signed, and the terms and conditions will vary. However there are some pre-paid companies to apply at as well, which makes the cell phone easier to get for people with little or no credit history. As with any agreement that someone enters into, they should always review the terms of the deal closely. Many states also have agencies set up to answer questions from potential applicants.
Assurance Wireless is part of the T-Mobile network. They will provide the free government backed phone program is all states. In general, they will provide a qualified low-income customer with hundreds of minutes of free internet usage each month, texting as well as talk time each month as well. In general, a low-income family be also be given a free Samsung Galaxy or Apple iPhone from Assurance (call 1-888 321-5880), though it will generally be an older model.
 Boost Mobile, which is owned by the Dish Network, is one of the largest pre-paid wireless companies. They participate in Lifeline, and give out free cell phones (Samsung, Apple, etc) to families living in or near poverty levels. There are also discounts on wireless internet plans and satellite dish, and dial 1-833-502-6678.
Cricket Wireless provides free cell phones from the Lifeline program as part of their pre-paid service. The company is owned by AT&T and has around 10 million customers. Cricket operates in most states and will give low-income families everything from an older model iPhone to the latest Google Pixel devices or Samsung smartphone. Call 1-800-274-2538.
Verizon also gives low-income families and people with no money a free smartphone, as they own Tracfone and Safelink (dial 1-800-723-3546). When it comes to the monthly service costs to customers, the terms and conditions on the usage of their cell phone is similar to the other providers it that they will offer a limited number of minutes, text message at no cost, and maybe even a free iPhone handset in some cases.
Many other cell phone carriers will help low income families receive a free phone and/or a discount on their monthly cell phone service bills. Some of them include Budget Mobile (dial 800-404-8033), AT&T (dial 800-377-9450 or 877.324.2120), US Cellular and others. As noted, always review a contract closely and be aware of any extra fees that could be charged.
While they do offer additional services, many of those can come with a fee. The FCC Lifeline Assistance will only pay for basic landline or cellular service, so if a household wants additional features added to their telephone (such as texting or more or unlimited data), those will normally come with a cost.
How to apply for a free government phone
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Applications to free phone programs as from Lifeline are processed by cell phone companies, with additional state information below. Each state government will have different application criteria in place. The customer service representatives from the companies such as Assurance or Safelink will help answer questions that people have.
In general, a free government iPhone or Galaxy phone is available for low-income families already receiving some type of state or federal government benefits or public assistance, such as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP) food stamps, TANF cash grants, Medicaid, section 8 vouchers, SSI disability or free school lunches. Also, even if a household is not on public assistance, they may still qualify for a free home or mobile telephone based on their income or by using their EBT card.
There are no restrictions of what the cell phone or land line can be used for. Many of the participants of these programs only use Lifeline for emergency calls. As the free government cell phone plans put restrictions on the number of available minutes available each month as well as texting or data plans. If someone exceeds those limits, then the customer will need to pay for the extra charges on the telephone that are not covered by the government.
Local free government phone programs by state
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In addition to the providers listed above, each state including yours may offer free phones or help from the government programs of Lifeline or Link Up. Select a state below for more information on free phones and Lifeline. The local governments will also generally be able to answer questions on the free cell phone programs for low income households as well as how to pay for any monthly service. There is help for cell, wireless or landline in a home.
As another option, Lifeline Support is a database of local program terms too, and it is managed by the non-profit Universal Service Administrative Company, or USAC. The service/site is managed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and find more details on Lifeline Support https://www.lifelinesupport.org/.
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Kansas
Kentucky
Massachusetts
Michigan
Mississippi
New Jersey
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Washington
Conclusion - Free phones for the low-income and people in government assistance
It is possible to get a free smartphone and service plan. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) mandates that each state have some form of version of this program, such as Lifeline. In addition, as noted above, many wireless companies also participate and give away free Apple iPhone, Google Pixels, or a Samsung Galaxy call phone to low-income families and the working poor.
Apply at a state or company above. In addition, the FCC also has a hotline for people to use if they need more information on these free government phone programs, rather a smart phone or landline. The customer service phone number is (800) 234-9473.
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