SSI Recipients May Be Eligible for Free Cell Phones and Free Minutes
SSI recipients and other low income Americans may be eligible for free cell phone or landline service under a program called Lifeline Across America. Participants can expect to receive discounted or free service for a limited number of wireless minutes, but for those living alone or who want the security of a cell phone for emergencies, the Lifeline program can be very comforting.
In June of this year, the New York Times published an article about the Lifeline program entitled Providing Cell Phones for the Poor.
The program specifications vary from state to state – and associated programs may provide subsidies for electricity and other utilities. You can find out what is available in your state by a simple web search – I typed "Lifeline + cell phones + Georgia" into Google and the search result documented a number of carriers offering the service.
Thanks to Wisconsin disability lawyer Don Chewning for blogging about this important benefit to SSI recipients.
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Jonathan Ginsberg
Comments on SSI Recipients May Be Eligible for Free Cell Phones and Free Minutes
Thanks for blogging about this! I knew about the service in relation to landlines, but did not know about the cell service. This will be extremely useful for our clients who are homeless or live in shelters, as well as for our clients to be safer while out in the community. Especially when looking for a job, it is nice to have a phone number that will not get turned off and you are always accessible.
This is what I learned about IL
http://www.cellphonedigest.net/news/2009/09/safelink_wireless_to_aid_lowin_3.php
that is not the cont in Breckenridge Texas they do not ofer free house or ceel phons to those on S.S.I.I should no I'm on SSI and I have been on it for years to be xact I whnt in it 1998 when i was20 I am now 32 and singal muther of a 5 year old .we can berly make it.