Government free cell phones in Iowa

Hawkeye State sure is a flashy name to have for your state and trust me when I say I’m thinking of Clint Burton. Living up to its extravagant name Iowa is in relatively an upbeat condition and homes no more than a reasonable percentage of those living below the poverty line.

These populace comprise unemployed workers, veterans and the disabled, as every state has. But that doesn’t mean the government will simply overlook them! No, no matter how less the number of low-income citizens are, the Lifeline assistance program along with all the other support programs from the American government still applies in Iowa to help those in need. Considerate, right?

Today we’ll discuss the Lifeline program, the Federal Communications Commission’ Program that lowers the monthly cost of phone and internet along with Government free phone providers. No, you didn’t read that wrong. Free phones.

You will be thrilled to know that these free phone companies working under the Lifeline program aren't just a hoax and genuinely offer free phones to the poverty-stricken, provided you are eligible under the conditions.

People don’t always live luxurious lives. Ups and downs are natural to come. For them, just for their convenience and to offer them an easier life, the government has taken this step. Companies I’m sure you’ve heard of, such as American Assistance and Safelink wireless, work under this program and provide free phones to everyone who needs it. No-win? Yes-win!

But, hold on a sec. It’s only natural that you feel like this program is just the one you’ve been looking for. It’s true, but with conditions. You can only get yourself a free phone if you qualify for certain criteria set by the government. See, not everyone who applies genuinely needs a phone, and it’s not possible to provide the whole country with free phones. Hence, they have to put up some regulations to filter out the ones who authentically need their help.

Then, who is eligible and what conventions do they need to undergo? We need to know because we don’t want to miss this ludicrously impossible chance, now do we?

At first, why not talk about this eligibility that has to be faced. Now that we know what that is, let’s peek snoop at the income-based eligibility chart that you must check in order to enrol in this program

Income-based Eligibility

Household size (number of family members) Annual Income

1 $17,226

2 $23, 274

3 $29,322

4 $35,370

5 $41,418

6 $47,466

7 $53,514

8 $59,562

For each additional person, add $6,048

Furthermore, you’re also eligible for this free phone support if you are a participant for any of the following government-paid programs:

• Medicaid

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)

• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)

• Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section-8)

• Veteran’s Pension and Survivor’s Benefit

• Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

• Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance (BIA)

• Tribal Head Start (only those households meeting its income qualifying standard)

• Food Distribution Program of Indian Reservations (FDPIR)

Now that that’s clear, taking you are eligible for this remarkably out-of-the-question free service program, you only need to contact a Lifeline assistance program, apply for your long-desired free phone and just wait for the delivery. No worries? Yes worries, because we’re overlooking something extremely important. Did this cross your mind: how to prove your eligibility?

Why do you need to do that? Otherwise, how will the provider know you aren’t taking advantage even if you don’t have to? Yes, pals, trust is a major issue here and we can’t blame them for that.

Keep this in mind, that whatever provider you are applying to, be that Assurance Wireless or American Assistance, you must prove your eligibility whether you want a cell phone, smartphone or landline (yes, you can also get landlines). So how do we do that?

If you are claiming income-based eligibility, you must self-certify your total household income and total household members, under penalty of perjury. Customers have to present valid documentation of income which can be any one of the ones listed below:

• An unemployment/work man’s compensation statement of benefits

• A paycheck stub or your current income statement from an employer

• Last year’s state, federal or tribal tax return

• A social security statement of benefits

• Federal or tribal notice letter of participation in General Assistance

• Veteran’s administration of benefits

• A divorce decree, child support, or other official documents

• Retirement/pension statement of benefits

If you are claiming state or federal program based eligibility or housing assistance (as listed before), in this case, similarly, you will need to self-certify, under penalty of perjury, your participation in one of the programs listed for your specific state (in this case Iowa). You may also need to submit documentation of your participation in the program. This depends on your state and what company you are vouching for. If you are a low income senior then you can visit how to get free phones for seniors

Fair enough? Now let’s take a look at how the application procedure is.

Say you need a cell phone or smartphone or landline. First up, taking you are eligible, you must find the companies in your state that provide the free phone service. While you’re at it, you’ll discover that there are many of those companies providing what you are asking for, each having their own proposals and offers as per their respective rules. Nevertheless, you want a company that fits perfectly with your needs and demands, don’t you? For this, a little effort is a requisite. You should check the various offers each company provides, then collect a fair idea about the customer service and finally be sure to take a gander at the reviews of that specific company that you chose.

This is to make the best out of it and not be disappointed afterwards, because who would want to regret having what they dreamed of having once upon a time?

Afterwards, assuming you’ve found the company of your choice: are you eligible according to the company’s rules?

Hold on, this wasn’t part of the plan? But once again, trust issues, pals!

Confirm the clear-cut eligibility requirements for your state (Iowa, here) and the company of your choice to avoid any unwanted complications.

Now that that’s taken care of, all you need to do is visit the company’s website, click on the ‘Apply’ button that will take you to the application form, and follow accordingly. Typically, this procedure will cost you no more than 2-3 or 5 minutes at best. The application will require you to enter a few personal pieces of information, reasonably, which will comprise your name, your address, why you qualify and the last number of your social security number.

Next, submit your application and wait for the company to verify documentation and notify you when it’s done. When approved, you should receive your phone in about ten business days.

Regardless, however, you mustn’t overlook that one vital rule: each household only receives one free phone. One, and that’s that. If the authorities find out you’re neglecting this rule, they will remove you from the program and ban you for further applications.

Let’s not forget about it.

Nevertheless, now that we know all of that, let’s peek at the companies we’ve been talking about, shall we?

It shouldn’t be very hard to find free phone provider companies, because they make sure the customers don’t have to be in a frenzy!

Now, let’s look at some of those companies listed below:

• Access Wireless: Providing service in various states (including Iowa), Access Wireless is one of the rising stars in the Lifeline program. You can get upto 1000 free minutes, unlimited texts and 50 MB data, free caller ID, free call forwarding and what not! Although plans vary from state to state, the mentioned plans are for every state. With every offer, Access Wireless is one of the best free phone provider companies you’ll come across!

Some of their phones will be:

1. Alcatel

2. LG

3. Samsung

4. Jitterbug

5. Google phones

• Assurance Wireless: Likewise, Assurance Wireless also provides you with that free smartphone and free talk, texts and 2GB data. Fair offer, no? Some phones you’ll probably get delivered are listed below:

1. Kyocera

2. LG

3. Samsung

4. Alcatel

5. Assurance Wireless Virgin

• Safelink: If you are a low-income resident, you can also receive a free phone service from this company with ease. With 250-1000 minutes a month and unlimited texting, a reasonable amount of data (according to your state), Safelink is one of the best Lifeline program free phone providers in Illinois. Some phones they provide are:

1. LG221c

2. Samsung S425G

3. Samsung S390G

4. LG840G

5. Samsung T330G

• EnTouch Wireless: This, too, is one of the rising stars in the Lifeline program and you will enjoy everything the other companies offer. You can get 1000 minutes, unlimited texts and a sweet amount of data too! This is definitely one of the topmost recommendations in this list! Below are given some of their phones:

1. Motorola

2. Samsung

3. LG

4. Kyocera

5. ZTE

• Life Wireless: Another one of the Lifeline assistance program phone providers is Life Wireless (state service included in Iowa too). Although the plans depend on each state, you get to enjoy at least 500 voice minutes, unlimited texting, unlimited premium WiFi powered by iPass etc. There are no roaming charges or hidden charges and you also get to go a bundle on 3-way free calling, call forwarding and what not! Let’s take a look at some of their phones:

1. Alcatel

2. Blu advance

3. LG

4. Logic

5. Nokia

• Q-Link Wireless: This company is a major player in the Lifeline assistance program. Their monthly offers include 1000 minutes of free talk, unlimited texting and 1 GB of free internet. Worth looking for? Oh, yes. No credit checks, no activation fees, definitely worth looking for!

Some of their phones are listed below:

1. Alcatel

2. Kyocera

3. LG

4. Blackberry

5. HTC

• Tempo Communications: If you were thinking “Just a free phone and nothing else? Nah.” then may I have your attention, please? Along with so many other companies, Tempo Communications too, offer you unlimited minutes of talk, unlimited text messaging and 1GB of data each month! Now, who would’ve thought about that.

Also, why don’t we take a look at what phones they offer? Here:

1. Motorola

2. LG

3. Blu Vivo

4. Blu Studio

5. Studio G

• TruConnect: Alongside the Lifeline free phone, you get to have 1000 monthly minutes, unlimited texting and up to 2GB of data per month! TruConnect might sound not-so-familiar to you (and that’s because it’s not that old in this business!), but they do provide a fairly reliable service.

• American Assistance: This too, is one of the top Lifeline assistance program companies that has satisfied its consumers for years on end, and plus point? It’s also available in Iowa! If you qualify then you can get a free cell phone, unlimited calling, 4GB data per month and unlimited text messages. Along with these, there are benefits such as free caller ID, free call waiting, free three-way calling etc. with no contracts, no monthly bills or hidden fees. Too good to be true, right? But it's completely authentic and doubtlessly tempting if you are eligible. Some of the phones provided by this ridiculously supporting company are listed below:

1. Samsung Galaxy J3

2. Apple devices

3. Motorola phones

4. LG phones

5. Nokia phones

Moving on, if you want to enrol for a phone (keeping in mind your eligibility, of course), you can visit the website of your chosen company and fill up a form to receive your free phone, as referred to beforehand. They disclose customer care numbers in the websites so are the emails and phone details if you want to know. Contacting them online is the most efficient and less time-consuming way, but if you want to physically be there, you probably have to find the office of your chosen company and ask for instructions like you want.

Concluding, the Lifeline assistance program is an exceptional move and a very generous service from the American government. Needy ones are benefited immensely with this selfless service, ensuring good for everyone who enrols. If you are in need, don’t hesitate to ask for help because everyone needs help at some point of their lives!