Cell Phones

Assurance Wireless: Free Cell Phone Program

Assurance Wireless, a part of Virgin Mobile, proudly participates in the Federal Lifeline Assistance Program. The Universal Service Fee charged on telecommunications services pays for the Lifeline program. The plan allows all people to contact 9-1-1 or other emergency services, jobs, doctors and family members free if they meet the requirements of the program. The program is a government benefit for certain people who need extra help.

Some people who receive this Federal government benefit include:

• Adults of all ages, including seniors
• People on disability
• Food stamp recipients
• Farm Aid recipients
• General Relief recipients
• People on Medicaid
• People on Medicare
• People on Social Security
• People in Section 8 subsidized housing
• Refugee or Entrant Cash Assistance recipients
• People who receive SSI benefits
• People with incomes lower than 135% of the national poverty rate

Each state has different qualifications for the program. Lifeline applicants are required to verify their eligibility for the program as part of their enrollment package.

Only one phone line per household can get the Assurance Wireless Lifeline program. However, separate households living at the same address can be eligible. This includes residents of homeless or domestic violence shelters or nursing homes. People with temporary addresses can also apply for the program. The Assurance Wireless program is available in most states.

A person eligible for Lifeline assistance through Assurance Wireless receives a free wireless phone plus 250 free talk minutes and 250 free text messages every month. The models of the phones available vary and they cannot be traded for a different kind of phone. Program participants can add money to their wireless plan to buy extra talk minutes, extra texts, or international calling features. Virgin Mobile offers Top-Up cards at many stores to help customers add money to their account. Money can be added using debit cards, credit cards or PayPal, too.

The wireless phones provided under the Lifeline program use the Sprint nationwide network for coverage. They include voicemail, call waiting and caller ID as part of the package, and there are no contracts, bills or activation fees to start the program. Calls to Assurance Wireless Customer Care are free. Participants can even keep their current home or cell number if they switch to the Lifeline program. Participants must make at least one call every 2 months to stay eligible for the program.

To enroll, complete the enrollment form online or print it and mail it. Include proof of eligibility for the program by sending COPIES of any of the following documents:

• Benefit ID card from any public assistance program like Medicaid, Medicare, Section 8 housing, SNAP or Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF)
• Eligibility letter from an authorized agency
• Benefits statement from the current year

People who earn less than 135% of the national poverty rate are also eligible for the Assurance Wireless Lifeline program. The exact amount of annual income limits depends on the number of people in the household. A household is any person or group of people who live at the same address and share income and expenses.

To apply based on income, submit proof of income by sending a COPY of any one of these documents from the most recent 12-month period:

• Pay stubs for the past 3 months
• Social Security benefits statement
• Veterans Administration benefits statement
• Retirement or pension benefits statement
• Unemployment benefits statement
• Most recent Federal or state income tax return
• Income statement from employer
• Federal letter verifying participation in General Assistance programs
• Divorce decree or child support document containing income information
• Worker’s Compensation statements

Once an application for Assurance Wireless Lifeline is approved, the household receives their phone and supply of minutes and texts. People who receive the service can keep it as long as they continue to qualify based on income or participation in an assistance program. Only the head of the household can apply for the program.

Assurance Wireless contacts every program participant at least once a year to verify eligibility for the program. If the participant does not provide the information required on time, their program ends. Federal law requires this. People on the program must contact Assurance Wireless immediately if they are no longer eligible for the program. Assurance can switch that customer to a regular Virgin Mobile wireless plan at that time if needed.

Safelink Wireless Reviews

Safelink Wireless is managed by Tracfone Wireless, a household name in communications. Tracfone Wireless has partnered with the state and federal government to create a low cost wireless phone and service available to anybody with low income. For those who qualify as low income, you get a free phone plus free allowance for monthly minutes, up to two hundred fifty minutes a month for free. You could also get even more free minutes by referring a friend. These phones are meant for those who cannot afford a regular cell phone and should be used in case of emergencies.

The improved Lifeline program now covers cell phones and is preferred over a landline phone. Cell phones are cheaper to buy and maintain with monthly payments. You can also carry them anywhere. With free monthly minutes and a free cell phone provided by Safelink Wireless, this helps many of those who have hit hard times.

With the economy in a rut, there are thousands out of a job and in need of a break. Having a free cell phone would allow those unemployed to more easily find a job. To find out if you are eligible for a free phone, check the lists of states where Safelink Wireless is accessible. Requirements for eligibility will also differ from state to state, so check their website before sending in an application. If you meet all the requirements, you should be able to get a free phone.

To apply for a free phone, you will need to submit some documents to Safelink to prove eligibility. This is easily done online and is not difficult at all. After a review and approval, a free government issued cell phone is sent to you. The regular free service is an allowance of 250 minutes a month, but if you need more minutes you will have to pay for the extra minutes. This is because the wireless service is classified as a public service effort. To make sure all subscribers get some free minutes each month, the number of minutes per user is rationed and limited. To apply for more minutes visit the company website where you can add more minutes and add more features to your free phone. These extra services will vary depending on your state.

Cell phone coverage is made possible by TracFone. Depending on your state, Safelink phones will be supported by AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon. For qualifying states, the coverage in your area should be very good since your phone is supported by major carriers.

SafeLink Wireless is located in Miami Florida and subscribers can visit their website or send an email to ask questions. They can also be contacted by phone for enrollment or for plan changes (1-800-SafeLink).
If you have used Safelink Wireless, please leave comments below regarding your experiences.

Free Cell Phones for Poor People

I have a friend who comes from a poor family. The family barely makes enough money to put food on their table. They had to apply for many government assistance programs like food stamps, Medicaid, and housing assistance. Even with all these programs they were still just barely making it. My friend’s husband was working at a minimum wage job and my friend was a stay at home mom taking care of the three kids. To help ease their money burdens, I told them that they could apply for free cell phones for poor people.

I know that their cell phone bill is about 60 dollars per month. If they cancelled their current cell phone plan and got the free cell phone service, they would be able to save that 60 dollars and put it towards better use. I told my friend that the government has a subsidy program called Lifeline. This program pays for free phone service for low income households and it is paid for by the Universal Service Fund. The cell phone service provider such as Safelink Wireless or Assurance Wireless would supply the free cell phone along with free minutes. You would typically get a free cell phone including 250 free air times per month which would include text.

To apply for the cell phone, I instructed my friend to go to the wireless service provider’s website to apply. From there you can print out the application and fill it out. First, you have to check to see if the program is available in your state. If so, then you can fill out the application. You would then have to submit proof of your eligibility. That means you could send proof that you are receiving other government assistance. You could also send your previous year’s tax return or last three months pay stub. Once you are in the program, you would have to send proof of eligibility each year that you plan on staying on the program.

The cell phone program allows 250 free minutes per month which is not a lot of minutes. The phone should mainly be used for emergencies and not for chatting with your friends. However, if you wanted, you could also purchase additional minutes. For five dollars, you could buy another 250 minutes.

After I told my friend about this program, she felt very happy because it would alleviate her financial burden a little bit. Every little bit of savings helps when you are trying to keep your expenses in check.

Free Cell Phones for Veterans

My dad is a war veteran who has now retired.  He currently lives off of Social Security and VA benefits.  It is quite hard for him to meet his monthly expenses.  He has had to scrimp and save every penny and even though life is still tough financially speaking.  I told him to eliminate all the extra expenses that are not necessary in his life such as cable TV and a cell phone.  He said that he could get rid of the cable TV but the cell phone was necessary.  He might need to make emergency calls to family and friends.  I had to agree with him on having the cell phone.  If he didn’t have one, I wouldn’t be able to keep in touch with him.  But, the cell phone plan he had was still rather expensive.  He was paying about $50 per month.  I decided to do some research to find out if there were cheaper alternatives.

After doing some research, I was able to find out about the free cell phones for veterans program.  Since my dad was retired and collecting only from Social Security and VA, he was able to qualify for the program due to his income level.  The program is funded by Lifeline which is a government subsidy program and is paid for through the Universal Service Fund.  To get the free cell phone, my dad had to fill out an application through Safelink Wireless or Assurance Wireless.  Both are cell phone service providers.  Not only would they give him a free phone, but he would also get about 250 free minutes per month for calling and texting.  To get into this program, my dad had to send them proof of his income.  He used his previous year’s tax return but you could also use your pay stubs for the last three months.  Luckily for my dad, he lives in a state where this Lifeline program is available.  Apparently, this program is only currently available in 38 states.  You can check if it’s available in your state by going to Safelink Wireless or Assurance Wireless and then entering your address.  My dad would also have to show proof of his income every year if he wanted to stay on this program.

In my research for free cell phones for retired soldiers, I also came upon a non-profit organization called Cell Phones for Soldiers.  This organization aims to provide free communication services for active duty military members and veterans.  It started in 2004 and has provided about 181 million minutes of free talk time.  This program is supported by donations from others which include old cell phones and phone cards.  You can check them out at their website for more information on how to apply for a free phone.

I’m glad I was able to find a free alternative cell phone plan for my dad.  That has allowed him to save $50 per month which he uses to buy food.  This program can certainly help a lot of people that are like my dad.

Free Cell Phones for Low Income Families

There are literally millions of low income families in the US today. Ever since the recession hit, there has been a growing number of families that fall under the low income status. A close friend of mine was under the low income status and her family was receiving government assistance such as food stamps and Medicaid. However, they were still just barely scraping by in life. The husband works a low paying job while my friend stays at home to care for the kids. Since their household expenses are pretty tight, I told them about the free cell phones for low income families program.

They currently pay about 60 dollars a month for two cell phones. If they were to get a free cell phone, they would be able to save that 60 dollars and put it towards other expenses. I explained to them that only one free cell phone would be given to a household. They would also be able to get about 250 free minutes every month which would include text. The program is funded by a government subsidy program called Lifeline and is paid for by the Universal Service Fund. The phone would be perfect for use in emergency situations. It should not be used for making social calls as you would quickly run the minutes down.

To apply for the program I told my friend to go to Safelink Wireless or Assurance Wireless and apply through their website. These two companies are service providers. On their website, you can select the state that you are living in and it will tell you whether or not the program is available in your state. Currently, the program is available in about 38 states and more states will probably be added in the future. Once you fill out and submit the application, you will also have to send proof that you are currently receiving other government assistance benefits or you can submit proof of your income. If you submit proof of income, you would have to either submit your previous year’s tax return or you can submit your last 3 months pay stub. Once you are approved, you will have to submit proof of eligibility every year that you plan on staying on the program. My friend asked me what to do if she needed more than the 250 minutes allotted per month. I told her that she could add minutes to her plan but she would have to pay for it. However, adding extra minutes is pretty cheap. You could add another 250 minutes of airtime and text for about 5 dollars.

My friend was happy to hear about this program because it would definitely save a lot of money for her family. She said that the money saved would be able to go towards buying healthy food and paying for gas. I would imagine this program could help many families facing similar situations so they do not have to choose between buying food and paying their cell phone bill.

Free Cell Phone for Medicaid Recipients

Medicaid is a health program in the U.S. that benefits certain types of people. For those on Medicaid, your health care would be paid mostly by the government. The types of people that qualify for this program are low income adults and their kids and people with disabilities.

A lot of people are unaware that you could get a free cell phone if you are a Medicaid recipient. Under the lifeline Assistance Program, you would be able to get a free cell phone along with free minutes. This program is supported by the federal Universal Service Fund. There are several wireless companies that offer the free cell phones. One is Safelink Wireless and the other is Assurance Wireless. Typically, you would a free wireless phone plus 250 free voice and text minutes each month.

Most people that want to apply for a free cell phone must meet the total household income guidelines set in their particular state. However, if you already have Medicaid that means you already meet the income qualifications. To apply you would need to provide proof that you are on Medicaid. The free phone service program is not available in every state yet. You would have to call up the wireless company and check to see if there is service in your area. If one provider does not service your area, then check another provider. You can also go to the wireless company’s website and see which states are has this service.

Usually, there are restrictions to these free cell phone programs. For example, you are only allowed to have one cell phone per household and you must be living at the address that you provide. You will also have to certify that you are still eligible for the lifeline Assistance program every year. You can do this by showing proof that you are still in the Medicaid program.

The free cell phone program offers a certain amount of free minutes and text per month. If you wanted, you could add more minutes and text to your plan. Of course, that would mean you would have to pay some money. For those that use the cell phone for emergency purposes only, the amount of free minutes that are offered should be sufficient. Since there is no contract involved in this program, you can cancel your service at any time. It is a great program for those who do not have phone service and really need to use one on occasion.

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.

Free Government Cell Phones

If you are a low income individual or come from a low income household, you may have already applied for many government assistance programs. These may include Food Stamps, Medicaid, energy assistance, and housing assistance. You may think that there are no more programs you could apply for but there is one more. Recently, I applied for the free government cell phones program. Through this program, I was able to get a free mobile phone and free airtime minutes.

There are several companies that offer this program. The two major ones are Safelink Wireless and Assurance Wireless. I picked Safelink because they had the program available where I lived. They might not be available in every state of the U.S., so you can try Assurance Wireless if that is the case. You can check to see if the program is available where you live by going to their website and putting in your zip code. The program is subsidized by the government and therefore in order to qualify you have to show proof of your income eligibility. Your household income must not reach above whatever limits the state sets. Just about anyone can apply including seniors, students, disabled people, families, or just about anyone that is in the low income range. From the Safelink website, you will find the application for the free cell phone service. Once you send in the application and everything is set, you should get your free phone and free minutes. You would probably get about 250 free minutes per month. You would also need to send in an income verification form every year that you plan on using the program.

This free phone service is meant for poor people who have no access to phones so that they can make emergency calls and keep in touch with the world. When you start using your phone, you may want to keep an eye on the amount of minutes that you use. It can be very easy to use up all those free minutes if you are not careful. They do have the option to refill your card if you were to run out but that would cost money. As for me, I never had any problem in keeping my phone usage under control. It is a great program for people like me.

Free Cell Phones for Seniors

A lot of senior citizens like me live off social security income and Medicaid. For me, that is the only source of income that I get. This makes life difficult to come by because the social security income is not much. I have rent and bills to pay and they are not getting cheaper. I try to save as much money as I can and will look for programs or deals that will help me. Recently, I found out about free cell phones for seniors that seemed very interesting.

I was surfing the internet for a cell phone when I happened upon the Safelink Wireless website. On the website, they were offering people up to 250 free monthly airtime minutes and a free cell phone. You may be wondering if there is a catch to all this. The catch is that you have to be considered income eligible by the government. So if you are already participating in programs like food stamps or Medicaid, you will have no problem getting into this program. Otherwise you would need to submit documentation proving your income. When you go to the Safelink website, the first thing they will ask is your zip code. Safelink is not offered everywhere in the U.S. yet so that is why they are asking for your zip code. This helps to determine whether their service is offered in your area. You can then fill out the application on their website. After you have sent in your application, you can check the status of it on the Safelink website. Each year that you plan on staying on the program, you will have to submit annual income verification. There is also another program called Assurance Wireless that offer a similiar program is Safelink Wireless is not available where your at.

Being able to have cell phones for senior citizens is really helpful to me. It allows me to keep in touch with my family and friends. And most importantly, I can keep in touch with my doctor and call emergency if the situation should come. This program is a definitely must have for the elderly.

HTC EVO 3D 4G Android Phone

I have wanted to upgrade my Evo 4G phone to the HTC EVO 3D 4G Android Phone. I like the Evo phones because they have everything that I could want in a cell phone. So when it came out, I immediately bought one. I have been tinkering with it every since.

The EVO 3D looks like the EVO 4G. Physically, there have been no changes to it. It still uses the 4.3” screen which is already pretty large. The dual cameras on the back make holding the phone kind of weird. It is too easy to get the glass on the camera dirty. I usually have to wipe it off before I take a shot otherwise my photos will come out not good. The phone is fairly comfortable to hold because of its form.

Video capture using the Evo 3D is amazing. It works well because of the dual processor. The old Evo had issues when video recording. It would always come out choppy. The Evo 3D records everything flawlessly and in 3D. You can also zoom in and focus while video recording. Files are saved in the MP4 format so it is usable in other devices. When you are recording in 3D, you may want to watch your battery life. It will eat up the juice really fast.

The Evo 3D has a dual core 1.2 GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM. The phone is very responsive and opens up applications pretty quickly. There are also no problems when running multiple applications.

Of course, when you buy these smartphones, let’s not forget their main purpose which is to make calls. The call quality of the Evo 3D is very good. I called up some of my friends and they were able to hear me quite well. I could also hear them crystal clear as well.

Overall, I think this is a great phone. If you have the Evo 4G then you may not want to upgrade to this phone because of the 3D qualities. However, if this is your first Evo, then you might as well go for it.