How We Chose The Best Free Phones For Seniors
Not all carriers offer the same free phone. The variety of brands and models to choose from can make your head spin. After extensive research, our team zeroed in on the best free phones for seniors. The criteria used to evaluate which no-cost phones made it onto our list include the availability of senior-friendly features, customer perks, and carrier reputation and reliability.
Pro Tip: Having a hard time deciding the type of phone that meets your needs? Head over to our best cell phones for seniors list for the lowdown on the pros and cons for various makes and models.
How Do Seniors Qualify For Free Phones On Social Security
Given that you now understand the advantages of the Social Security Administrations free mobile phone program for seniors, We are sure youd like to join up and take advantage of it because why not? However, before you apply, make certain that you are eligible for this program.
It, too, has eligibility requirements, much like the vast majority of government aid programs. This programs resources are limited due to limited resources and a high demand. There is a qualifying condition for the program, so that only those in needs may receive the phones.
Those on Social Security may be eligible for a free phone if they fulfill one or more of the following criteria:
- Low Income: If your household is considered low-income, you may be eligible. This implies that your family income must be less than the federal poverty line or less than 135 percent of the federal poverty limits. A few states have somewhat greater restrictions, so check with your state program just in case.
- Participation in governments assistance programs: If you engage in other government aid programs, you may be eligible. If you receive Supplemental Security Income, you may be eligible for the Lifeline Assistance program. Similarly, if you receive temporary assistance for needy families funds, you are eligible for the Lifeline program. These mobile phone benefits are also available to members in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program .
Free Government Cell Phone Plans
Because many senior citizens are on fixed income or social security it can be difficult to afford a cell phone. But thankfully initiatives like Lifeline Assistance have been created to benefit those in need. If youre already enrolled in a government aid program you may already be eligible for a free cell phone and plan. If youre enrolled in any of the following you can jump the queue to receive a free government cell phone plan:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- Tribal-specific programs: Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance,
If youre not enrolled in any of those programs you will be required to check if your income is below the federal poverty guidelines.
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How We Chose The Best Senior Cell Phone Plans
When picking out the best senior cell phone plans, we evaluated each provider on the following criteria:
- Fair pricing: Between hidden fees, setup charges, and other unexpected costs, working with a cellular provider can induce quite the headache. All of the providers on this list feature straightforward pricing so you can avoid any surprises on your monthly bill.
- Reliable coverage: It goes without saying that a cell phone should be able to function just about anywhere, so we looked for providers with the widest nationwide coverage.
- Ample minutes, messages, and data: With many people ditching their landline service altogether, youll likely need a good amount of usage included with your plan. All of the plans listed here offer affordable unlimited plans that wont saddle you with costly overage charges.
- Senior-specific features: No matter ones age, we all want a phone for communication purposes. With that said, some providers like Lively have senior-specific features such as urgent response buttons and hearing-aid-compatible devices.
- Device options: While its tempting to assume that all seniors want the same big-button flip phones, we know that everyone is different. We looked for providers that offer a range of devices, including providers that allow you to bring your own phone and keep your current number.
More Than Just Free Cell Phones For Seniors
Lifeline and ACP service providers, like Easy Wireless, provide more than just free cell phones for seniors. Through these government programs, seniors can also receive:
- FREE Unlimited Talk
- FREE Unlimited Text
- FREE Unlimited Data
Once they have activated their new phone and Lifeline service, seniors no longer need to worry about how to stay connected with friends and family, or how to get help in an emergency .
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Require Documents To Prove Household Income
If you qualify for Lifeline Assistance due to having an income below 135% of prevailing Federal poverty guidelines, you must prove your eligibility. There are several documents that you must attach to your application, including the following:
- Documentation showing social security benefits
- Latest paycheck stubs or current income statement from your employer
- Workers’ compensation or unemployment benefits statements
- Previous year’s tax returns
- Other documents like child support or divorce decree, proving income
- A letter of participation in government assistance
You must provide income documents for three consecutive months in the same year or twelve months. However, you should avoid sending original documents when making a Lifeline Assistance application. Instead, make copies and attach them to the application.
Free Cell Phones For Seniors Providers
Free phones for seniorsfree smartphones for seniorsTips for choosing the best Lifeline provider:
- Each state has many free cell phone providers, and you have to find out who serves your area.
- One of these companies may offer more free minutes or allow additional low-cost minutes. Compare the free cell phone companies in your area to get the best deal.
- Then you have to sign up for the lifeline program on this company website, or you can do that with mobile vendors at street fairs.
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Best Smartphones For Seniors
1. iPhone 7
iPhone 7 user-friendly interface and its easily accessible operating system feature make the best and ideal Smartphone for seniors. I call it unbeatable.
Features integrated are as below
- It has a bright and colorful 4.7-inch LCD screen
- It has dual speakers,
- Available in either 32 GB or 128 GB of storage, depending on the specific model you get. Even in low light, both front and rear cameras tend to take high-quality pictures
2. Samsung Galaxy J3
It is a low-cost Smartphone among all Samsung series, which is compatible with the 4g network. Isnt it like cherry on the top? Features integrated into this phone are as follows
- Long-lasting battery
- 16 GB of internal storage
- MicroSD card slot
- The front and rear cameras are capable of taking clear and decent pictures even in low lighting.
- High Definition quality. It can film full in HD.
3. Motorola Moto E4
It offers valuable and outstanding quality to seniors within their budget. Its light in weight having water repellent coating on its screen.
Integrated Features:
- It has a five-inch HD display
- It has reasonable call quality,
- Have both front and rear-facing cameras.
- It has an exceptionally long-lasting battery that can be removed, if necessary it can replaced whenever required.
- It comes with a fingerprint sensor that allows you to unlock the phone with a simple touch.
4. Jitterbug Smartphone
Jitterbug is the best any senior can have. This Android Smartphone Jitterbug phone has very simplified features i.e.
Best Free Phones For Seniors On Social Security
For disabled people, the task is simple for us but maybe extremely difficult for them. To operate a phone, one needs fine motor skills and good vision. But, that is where disabled seniors are going to have problems.
There arent any phones that overlook those problems, but seniors can overcome those problems with a bit of adjustability. The perfect phone can vary based on the type and severity of disabilities.
However, Im listing a few phones to tell you what type of phones you should select the free phones for seniors on social security.
A phone should have braille keypads and apps for hearing impaired or deaf seniors, a cell phone needs loudspeakers, flashing visuals, and sound vibration. And, lastly, people with cerebral palsy need features like oversized buttons.
One thing to keep in mind, you shouldnt go for expensive models, as its common with seniors to break or lose their phones. So, you may need to purchase phones a few times.
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Our Top Picks: Cell Phones For Seniors Reviews
According to a recent study, only 42% of consumers in the U.S. over 65 years of age own a smartphone. This number drops to 17% when only those over 80 years of age are considered. These numbers raise an interesting question: why are older consumers so reluctant to buy smartphones?
To answer this question, we reached out to dozens of anonymous consumers, being either a senior citizen or someone who purchased a cell phone for an elderly relative, for their experience and input. When asked what their major concerns were when using a cell phone, 76% of our respondents stated: not understanding how to use it.
Cell phones for seniors are available in different styles: flip phones, smartphones, bar phones, and tablet-phones. The selection for cell phones for seniors is just as varied as regular phones when it comes to features and styles and we looked at all of them for you to determine which are the best in the industry.
Helpful Information About Cell Phones For Seniors
Cell phones, specifically smartphones, can be confusing, especially to someone who has never used a phone for anything other than making a call. A modern smartphone has the ability to predict the weather for the rest of the week. It can have a driver come and pick you up wherever you are without you even having to talk to anyone. It can even have groceries delivered to your home . Modern smartphones do so much more than what a regular phone or even a cell phone used to do, that they could easily be intimidating for senior citizens if they are not already tech-savvy. This is where cell phones for seniors come in.
Cell phones for seniors are mobile phones that have been designed with older consumers in mind. Their displays, the keypad numbers, the on-screen text, and the icons are larger than usual, in order to make the phones easier to use for those who have conditions that affect their vision. Some phones also include GPS location services and medical monitoring features, as well as an emergency call button, 24/7 access to registered nurses and doctors, check-in calls, and wellness calls.
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Who Gives Free Phones With Service
The government and many charities run programs to help those in need by offering them phones in collaboration with network providers. These phones are offered by providers such as Tempo, Life Wireless, Blue Jay Wireless, FeelSafe Wireless, American Assistance, Access Wireless, Safelink Wireless, and so on.
Final Words
I hope you have all found the above guide of use and could Get Free Phones for Seniors on Social Security.
It goes without saying that communication has become very important these days. It is crucial that one stays connected with close ones, family, and friends. This especially is true for senior citizens who might feel lonely and need their people.
However, due to their limited fixed income or no income, they cannot always afford to have a phone. This is where the government and charity organizations come forward to help those in need.
If you have read the above article you might know that eligible seniors can get free cell phones from government as well as other organizations. I hope the article helped you with the process.
For any queries, contact us through the comment section below. Do make sure to leave your views for us to read below.
Eligibility To Get Free Phones For Seniors On Social Security
Now after knowing the importance and features of the free cell phones for seniors that are offered by the government based on social security. You might want to apply for the program and if you want to avail the benefits then you have to check over the eligibility criteria. So, check the eligibility criteria which are given below.
Almost all the programs have eligibility criteria and this government assistance program has also certain criteria for eligibility. Eligibility criteria are applied by the government because the resources for the program are limited but the demand is very high. So, you have to complete the eligibility criteria and government makes sure that the free cell phones are provided only to needy people with the help of these eligibility criteria.
Therefore, if you are in genuine need and want a free phone for seniors and disabled people on social security then follow the prescribed rules and regulations:
So, if you can fulfill the above-mentioned conditions then you are eligible for a free phone program of the government for seniors and disabled people on social security. After getting yourself eligible you can sign up for it and the guidelines that you have to follow for the signing up process are given below. So, follow the guidelines and avail the benefits of this program.
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Free Government Cell Phones: Which Phones You Can Get
The various carriers that participate in the Lifeline Assistance program do a pretty good job of giving their customers some great options in terms of cheap or free phones.
Take Assurance: the carrier offers a host of smartphones like the Alcatel Dawn, Kyocrea Hydro Reach and ZTE Prestige 2. Or Truconnect: they sell the NUU A3 and ZTE Warp Elite N9518.
Alcatel
Unfortunately some of these carriers arent very forthcoming with their phone lineups until after you go through the qualification process. However, doing so will help you determine what kind of stipend youre working with for your free or cheap government phone.
How To Get A Free Landline Phone Service For Seniors
If you are an active member of a federal government assistance program such as:
- Federal Public Housing Assistance
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program .
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
You are also eligible if your income is under 135% of the federal poverty guidelines. The Lifeline assistance programs are only limited to one participant per household and lower internet or home phone service costs per month. Investigate if there is a wireless service provider in your area that provides the Lifeline Assistance program.
This will help you to determine if you are eligible for cheap landline phone service for seniors. With a free phone, you will be exempted from connection charges, sign a yearly agreement, make a deposit or pay a monthly service charge. You must obtain yearly certification to prove you are a low-income earner to continue receiving the services.
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Importance Of Free Cell Phone For Seniors And Disabled People
As you all know that it is quite impossible to live without the comfort of their cell phones as cell phones are the essential commodity of our daily routine. Smart phones are the very crucial thing that everybody needs to stay connected with their loved ones and this may be very helpful in times of emergency as well. The full list of the reasons why seniors and disabled people need a mobile phone is given below. So to know the valid reasons follow the below-given list.
The most important and foremost reason why seniors should have their cell phones with them is safety as seniors and disabled people require more safety and security as compared to others. These people are one of the most vulnerable groups of people who might require medical attention at any time due to their weak health conditions.
In emergency health conditions, cell phones can be a huge relief and work as a heavy support system. Cell phones also help them with their safety and security because in their time of need they can easily reach out to their family members, friends, and so on.
As you all know that seniors and disabled people may need medical attention at any time because of their weak health conditions. So in the case of an emergency, they can easily reach out to the concerned medical authorities with the help of their smart phones.
More on Free Phones
Adding Services To Your Account
How do I add data, minutes or other services to my account?
You can add extra data, minutes or other services when you need them. Visit Plan Add-ons, choose the additional services you want and click on the link to purchase.
Need more help? Call Customer Care at 1-888-321-5880.
How do I check my balance and pay for services?
Log into My Account to check your data and minute usage.
You can add to your account service balance with a credit card, debit card or Top-Up PIN:
1. Sign up for Auto Pay or register your payment method.
Set Auto Pay and never worry about running out of funds for all your extras. With Auto Pay, any purchases will automatically be charged when payment is due. Log into My Account, click My Settings, search for the payment information and follow the instructions. If you would prefer to choose when to make a payment, you can simply register your payment method so its on file.
2. Purchase Top-Up PINs from a retail store:
Visit your local Family Dollar, Dollar General, 7-11 or Speedway to purchase a Top-Up PIN or speak to a cashier about adding money to your account. A minimum Top-Up of $5 may be required.
For more help dial 611 from your Assurance Wireless phone or call Customer Care at 1-888-321-5880.
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