Free Cell Phone for the Disabled
A close friend of mine who has been unemployed for a while told me that he has been having trouble paying for his bills. Ever since his on the job accident, he has been living off of disability. Since disability barely pays anything, he has had to cancel some services like cable TV and internet. And due to the increasing cost of fuel and food, he has decided that he would have to cut his cell phone as well. I told him that I did not think it was a good idea to cut off his phone service because then nobody would be able to contact him. He would also have no way to contact anyone if he was in an emergency.
He told me there was nothing he could do because he had no money to pay for the cell phone service. So I recommended that he apply for free cell phones for disabled people. My friend would be able to get a free cell phone with some free minutes due to his low income. Since he’s considered to be living below the poverty level and probably meets the Income Poverty Guidelines, he should be able to qualify for this program. I told him to go to the Safelink website because that seems to be the most popular program that I know of.
Through Safelink wireless program he would be able to get a TracFone cell phone. He would not be subjected to a contract and would have no bills. The phones are all pre-paid. In addition to the free cell phone he would also get 250 free minutes each month. Once my friend was on the Safelink website, he filled out the application online and submitted it. After he submits the application, the state would contact him to verify his income level. If he is approved, the state would contact Safelink informing them that he qualifies.
Every since applying and receiving his free cell phone, my friend has been very happy with the service. After all it is free so there’s no much to complain about.
Ok, fine, but how do you apply for the free phone for the disabled. Website, application, instructions for applying. ????
Don’t take my Word for it, go to the site and apply. Apparently the requirements for qualification is being in one of the programs below, though there may be more to it. Please check out the link and apply yourself. It takes just a few minutes and you have little to lose.
* Electric Universal Service Program
* Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
* Food Stamps
* Temporary Cash Assistance (TANF)
* Medical Assistance (Medicaid)
* Public Assistance to Adults
* Maryland Energy Assistance Program
* Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
* Temporary Disability Assistance Program
Please let me know when I can receive a phone. If you check, you will see that I am on SSI (disability) and I do get some well a minimal amount of food stamps. I know they set up post centers outside tents with people there to give you a free cell phone if you apply ( I,e: SSI, foodstamps etc) but that is in Rhode Island I want to know where to go in Massachusetts please
I am looking for a free hands free cell phone for a handicapped person. She is unable to use her hands. But she does need a cell phone especially for emergencies. Thanks Melody
i would like to know how long a phone can be delivered to me for a low cost?
Be warned, SAFELINK centers are NOT in the USA & everyone there I have spoken to (India, I believe) do not speak English very well, have limited understanding of English & simply do not give a damn. Their customer service is a joke. My phone broke, & I had to raise hell to get a replacement & the replacement is useless to me because the buttons are so tiny, I am unable to dial. GOOD LUCK to anyone using Safelink. I am trying another provider, & I would suggest you do the same.
I agree with you Mel, I lost my phone when I got out of my car it fell down a drain, they sent me a replacement phone have been on the phone 4 times with them at 1/2 to 1 hour each time keep being told have to wait 24 hrs, its been a week and have not had my phone reactivated yet, half the people I have spoken to cannot understand them, poor english. Still no service.Their customer service Sucks! STAY AWAY FROM SAFELINK!
I agree . I’m trying to get a phone from SafeLink for my mom. They have all her information and say a phone is approved and will ship..then it never arrives. When i call back the customer service people are reading from a script and will not deviate to answer direct questions. When I asked to speak to a supervisor I am told ” Sorry. No one here. Very busy. You call back “. This has played out almost exactly the same since Thanksgiving. Its almost the end of January. Don’t use SafeLink.
Be forewarned that the phone is a small 1.5″ by 3″ phone with small buttons, no headphone jack, or Bluetooth capability…so if you have hearing, manual dexterity, or vision relate disabilities…the phones are tiny, hard to dial, not very loud, and hard to read the LCD display.
On eBay there are “upgrade kits” where you can buy another model, but when you swap your SIM card into it, it will NIT WORK (the SIM is mate with a particular phones ESN, so it will not work in another phone from the same company…such as SafeLink for example will not work with any other TracPhone if you just “swap the SIM”).
So be warned. If you can handle such a small phone, dial with tiny buttons, handle a phone at maximum volume is about 50% of the volume of the loudest “latest technology” phones without a speakerphone function, deal with a small LCD screen…by all means get it.
I have had one since the GWB administration, and it has over 3,000 minutes on it from the 250 minutes rolling over (if the phone breaks from being dropped from wheelchair height to a concrete sidewalk, and is replaced…you lose all rolled overed minutes)…it is not useable by me…so I have it for 9-1-1 in emergencies, where I can try to dial it using a pen or a q-tip…and just keep repeating my needs and address in an emergency even if I can’t hear the other end of the call.
Here is the info from the Assurance Wireless website (I only have experience with Safelink and its Samsung SGH150 &SGH300 “candy bar” phones):
Can I use a Virgin Mobile PayLo phone with an Assurance Wireless account?
Selected Virgin Mobile phones other than the primary handset, the Assurance Wireless Jax by Kyocera, may be used with an Assurance Wireless account. However, for the best customer experience, we encourage you to use the handset sent to you by Assurance Wireless. From time to time, a different model phone may be provided to new Assurance Wireless customers due to availability.
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Can I use any Virgin Mobile phone with my Assurance Wireless account?
Selected Virgin Mobile phones may be used with an Assurance Wireless account excluding the Party Animal, Super Model, Blackberry® and Android™ models. However, for the best customer experience we encourage you to use the handset sent to you by Assurance Wireless.
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Can I use a Blackberry with an Assurance Wireless account?
No, the Blackberry data platform cannot be used with an Assurance Wireless account.
Can I use an Android™ phone with an Assurance Wireless account?
No, an Android™-powered phone cannot be used with an Assurance Wireless account
Can I use an iPhone® with an Assurance Wireless account?
No, the iPhone® data platform cannot be used with Assurance Wireless account.
Why did I get a different phone than the one pictured on the Assurance Wireless website?
Free Assurance Wireless phones are dependent upon availability, and models shipped could vary. Free Assurance Wireless phones cannot be traded for another model.
my friend needs a cell phone and we don’t know where to get one
My husband is 90% blind in each eye, which just happened. He does have a free phone, but cannot use it as everything is too small. Do you have phones with much larger print?