Tuesday 22 February 2011

Government Cell Phones- What about them

By Jill Anders


There are free government cell phones offered to the members of the population that really need them. This outreach program is still on a growing course, but after sixteen years of existence, it has been able to cover quite a number of states, which is commendable. To benefit from the program, you have to make an application.

If you want to receive the free phones from the government, you need to go through an application process, and wait for approval. Once confirmed, a phone is shipped to your residence, with preloaded minutes in them.

In the application, you need to fill more than just your name and your permanent address. For some states, you are required to divulge your income details. Of course if you earn enough to get yourself a mortgage, you might not qualify. Your income level has to be below the poverty levels. This proof can be provided by your pay stubs, your tax returns, or by your employer. You also need a social security number, as the last digits will be required as well. In most cases, you need to be enrolled to a public assistance program like Medicaid for you to be eligible. If you meet the criteria, and are approved, a phone is sent to you within a weeks time.

The phone comes with preloaded minutes, so you can start talking as soon as you get it. The numbers of minutes are not exactly many, but then this is dependant on the state that you are in. But even with that, 250 minutes, which is on the higher side of the minutes given, are not so many. And these are only renewed after every month, so there is a strong likelihood that they will not last through the 4 weeks. Should you run out before the renewal date, you can purchase more if you still want to make calls. And if by any chance, you fail to use the minutes, they are rolled over to the next month, which only means the less you talk, the more the minutes that will pile up.

There is a renewal process that is scheduled annually, but this does not apply to all applicants. It is done to verify that you are still eligible. Should you find that you dont need the phone anymore, you can freely abandon the program. You are allowed to keep the phone, and purchase minutes from the network providers that are available. In these times that we are living in, a phone can safely be classified as a basic need, so there is no reason that you should be without one, since the government is giving them out for free.




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