Transfer Your Landline Number
Want to get rid of your landline but not your phone number? This option can save you money without the hassle of changing your home phone number. Companies like Community Phone provide this service for a modest fee.
There are a few things to know about transferring your landline number:
- Not all phone numbers are eligible.
- You can have your incoming calls forwarded to your existing cell phone or to a separate phone.
- Even if you’re in an internet and TV bundle, you can still transfer your home phone.
Community Phone has a handy tool that tells you whether your landline number is eligible to be transferred.
Amplified Phones For Hearing Impaired
enhance the callers voice by up to 20 or even 60 decibelsextremely loud ringtone
Increasing the volume isnt the only strength of an amplified phones arsenal, either. Such devices also boast larger buttons and numbers for better visibility, instant emergency calling, bigger display screens and a speed dial function with the ability to alter buttons to include a loved ones photo. Amplified phones come in both wired and cordless flavors.
In case the hearing-impaired person lives in a large home, they should consider installing in multiple rooms. They connect to the landline just like the phone, and a loud noise is emitted every time there is a call. They work best when stationed in regularly occupied rooms, such as the bedroom or the kitchen.
How Is My Landline Bill Paid By Lifeline
The Lifeline program partners with various internet and phone providers to handle the bill for you, so you have one less thing to worry about every month. Once approved through Lifeline and your phone carrier you wont get a monthly bill.
Instead, Lifeline will pay the phone carrier directly. You may still receive a bill or statement for your records.
The exception to this rule is if you contract a package that is more expensive than your benefits. Lets say you have a $9.25 Lifeline credit monthly, but your bundle costs $14.25. In this case, Lifeline would cover part of it, but youre still responsible for the $5.25 difference every month.
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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
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families .
- Supplemental Security Income
- National School Lunch Programs Free School Lunch.
- Tribally-Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
- 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.
How To Prove Participation
When proving participation in the lifeline assistance programs, you need to submit a document that includes:
- Name of the person applying for these services
- Name of the program, like Medicaid
- Tribal or government administrator or managed care organization that provided the document
- Date of insurance with the last one or a future date of expiry that matches with the benefit period.
- If your familys revenue is less than 135% of the state poverty guidelines, you might qualify for a lifeline program discount.
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What Are Landline Phone Features
Home phone calling features are great, but what do they all mean and what can you do with them? Check out some popular calling features that may be available with your phone plan and how to use them.
- See the name and number of an incoming call before you answer the phone.
- Uses a special tone to notify you of an incoming call while youre on another call. Also allows you to switch between the two calls, placing the other on hold.
- Identify the name and number of an incoming call while you are on another call.
- Do Not Disturb Control when you receive incoming calls and prevent unwanted interruptions.
- Busy Redial or *66 When you receive a busy signal, you can use this feature to automatically redial the number for up to 30 minutes and alert you when the line is free.
- Three-way Calling Have a three-way conference call by adding a third party to your conversation.
Your calling features will vary based on your home phone service provider and which plan you select. Call today to see which providers, plans and features are available near you.
Best Ways To Get Free Landline Phone Services For Seniors
Now, after knowing all about the features of landline phones if you want to know the best ways to get free landline phone services for seniors then here it is. There are five best ways explained below with their pros and cons. So with the help of the pros and cons, you can easily choose which service suits you the best. Some of these ways also provide free trial periods for their customers so that you can try their services without paying for anything. Lets have a look.
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Keep Your Phone Number
In addition to Oomas many home phone features, seniors will appreciate the ability to keep their phone number after switching phone service providers. This is useful for the practical reasons of not wanting to notify contacts, a seniors concerns about memory lapses, or the sentimentality of having had the same phone number for decades.
Included with an annual subscription to Ooma Premier is free number porting, which allows you to transfer most phone numbers to Ooma. Without a subscription, porting a phone number costs $39.99.
Porting is a one-time occurrence and doesnt incur fees in future years. Use Oomas phone number checker to see if your number can be transferred.
Cheap Landline Phone Plans For Seniors
Access to a home phone is crucial for senior citizens in case of emergency and to stay in contact with friends and family.
Cheap landline service for seniors is available for low-income customers via the Lifeline program through the federal government. Providers like AT& T participate in this program, which makes it easy to apply.
You should also check with your home phone provider to see if they offer discounts to older customers. For example, AARP members often get reduced rates on phone bills through certain companies.
Seniors may also want to consider VoIP via services like Magic Jack or Ooma. These options are very affordable and easy to use.
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How To Apply For Free Government Landline Phones
You can enroll in this program by using a lifeline phone provider in your country. However, you will need to prove that you are eligible by providing documentation like previous year tax returns, payroll from your current employer, letter to prove social security benefits, child support, retirement, and unemployment benefits.
- Fill and sign the application.
- Attach evidence of membership of any of the programs mentioned above. If you are not in any of the program, you can show proof of revenue in your application.
At& t Home Phone Service In 2022
Landlines still offer a variety of benefits you may not be aware of, including reliable call quality and potentially better reception than mobile phones.
An AT& T home phone plan offers solid service with great bonus features at a fair price. Home phones may not be as popular anymore, but for those who still rely on landlines, you can’t go wrong with AT& T.
In this guide, we are here to tell you all about AT& T home telephone service plans. We will break down what AT& T has to offer and what you might want to think about before making a purchase.
- Three-way Calling
AT& T wireless home phone
AT& T Wireless Telephone Services are a low-cost alternative to traditional home phone service. The AT& T Wireless Home Phone service utilizes a mobile device to give you home phone service at a cheaper monthly price.
If you’re in an area with a strong AT& T wireless signal, all you need to do is set up your Wireless Home Phone device and that’s it! You’ll receive unlimited nationwide calling and features including call waiting, caller phone number ID, voice mail, three-way calling, and call forwarding for your phone.
You’ll be able to obtain a free phone for your home from AT& T Wireless for free with a two-year contract. As the icing on the cake, you can take your device anywhere you’d like.
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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.
What Government Program Provides Free Landline Service
Since 1985, the Lifeline program has provided free landline service to qualifying low-income Americans in every state, commonwealth, territory, and Tribal land. Lifelines goal is to ensure every American can connect to family, jobs, and emergency services.
The Federal Communications Commission started the Lifeline program in the early 1980s. Since then, its developed into a robust federal program that helps thousands of people connect annually.
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Apply Online Or By Mail
Even though this is a federal program, there are ways to apply through your state or certain phone companies in your area if you qualify.
To apply online, click here and choose your state to get started.
The application will require personal information such as your:
- Email, if applicable
You will also need to verify your identity with a Social Security Number, tribal ID number, drivers license, military ID, passport, taxpayer identification number , or another form of government ID.
Then, you should provide qualifying proof documentation to show that you are low-income or participate in a government program.
You can show your W4, W2, or three consecutive pay stubs for proof of income eligibility.
You will need to provide an official letter or document to prove that someone in your household participates in a government assistance program.
If youd instead apply by mail, you can access the paper application form online and print it out or get a physical copy at the branch offices of participating phone service providers.
Once its filled out and you have copies of your supporting documents, you can send your application in the mail to:
USAC Lifeline Support Center
London, KY 40742
Can Seniors Get A Free Government Phone
Yes, seniors can get a free government phone if they qualify for the Lifeline program.
Many states offer free government phones to seniors, and the qualification requirements vary from one state to another. In most cases, you can qualify if you participate in a government assistance program such as SNAP or your household income falls below 135% of the federal poverty guideline.
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What Is The Affordable Connectivity Program
The Affordable Connectivity Program is a new program designed to provide additional support to make broadband more affordable for households.
Your Lifeline and ACP benefits can be combined and applies to the same service plan or applied to different service plans.
This benefit service is provided by Easy Wireless to customers as part of the support from the US government.
With the addition of the ACP seniors can also receive unlimited broadband as well. Seniors can apply for both programs at the same time.
Protect Against Utility Outages
Some critics may caution against seniors switching to VoIP phone services because its functionality is dependent upon your electric and internet services, meaning that a power or internet outage could also result in a phone outage. Ooma can mitigate these risks.
If you have the Ooma Premier plan, the Ooma Telo LTE Safety Phone, can transmit a phone call via an advanced nationwide LTE network. Therefore, if your internet service goes out, the device will automatically reroute calls from your traditional internet connection to a cellular one. This provides seamless connectivity to make and receive calls without needing to manually switch the connection type.
For electricity outages, the Ooma Telo Battery Backup keeps your system powered up even when the lights go off. If your Ooma Telo stops receiving power from the electrical outlet, itll automatically switch to run off the battery. Once power is restored, the Telo will switch back to the traditional power supply and recharge the battery.
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Best Value: Smpl Corded Phone
Model: smpl 56010Dimensions: 3 x 9 x 8.75 InchesWarranty: 90-Day
SMPL Corded Phone with 6 One-Touch Photo Memory Keys, Big Button Keypad, Redial and Flash Buttons, High-end ABS plastic and button construction. This basic landline phones have plenty ofadditionalfeatures to make them amplified telephones for seniors. This phone is hearing aid compatible, have a loud ringer with visual flasher, and can be desk or wall mounted. The line connector cord is also removable.
More over, SMPL Corded Phone can work even during power outages. These amplified phones for seniors have 4 earpiece volume levels and 3 ringer volume settings . The photo memory feature is also retained when the phone is unplugged. You can program it at home and bring it to your loved one with no worries.
Smartphone Instead Of A Home Phone
Family members and caregivers may reason that a smartphone is the superior option for seniors. They are small, lightweight and more open in terms of possibilities and feature set. Its far easier to adjust the audio level on a smartphone, not to mention the varied options for vibration, lights and ringtones to help get their attention. The app stores are also chock-full of useful programs. Medical alert apps and ringtone amplifiers are just the beginning, since smartphones are a constant source of games, news and reading material.
On the downside, smartphones require a certain level of tech know-how. Seniors often lose their patience while fiddling with the touchscreen or accidentally do something they didnt intend to, such as delete their contacts while navigating through the maze of options. In the end, they could well stop using the fancy doodad and return to the tried and tested landline phone.
Companies, like GreatCall, aim for the middle ground by providing a smartphone with an extra-large interface for increased readability, and comes with a handful of pre-installed apps that are truly useful for any elderly user.
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Are There Any Free Phones For Seniors
Seniors can get a free phone but have to apply to a phone service provider and prove they are eligible. They have to state their age and attach the necessary documents. They should either be below the poverty guidelines or on a federal Lifeline Assistance program. Once they apply to the Lifeline provider and their application granted, they get the lifeline discount off their monthly bill depending on the provider they have signed up with.
How To Get A Free Phone For Seniors
Are You Getting FREE Text, Calls and Data?
Join the Tens of Thousands that have already signed up for FREE Lifeline and ACP Benefits.
- Mon-Sat: 9 am – 6 pm ESTSun: Closed
Over 60 and looking for a free phone for seniors? You may be eligible for a free smartphone and free unlimited talk, text, and data through the Lifeline and ACP programs.
Keep reading to learn what these programs are and how you can get these FREE benefits.
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How Can You Get Free Landline Phone Service For Seniors
You cannot get landline phone services absolutely free of charge. However, you can get a significant monthly discount on your telephone bill if you participate in the Lifeline program the Federal Government offers. Enrollment in government-aided programs such as SNAP, TANF, and Medicaid guarantees you a place in the Lifeline program.
Smart Home For Safety
Smart home technology is expanding to eldercare, as explained in a WSJ audio podcast. For example, consider how a family member may want to monitor a loved one remotely with smart home security sensors.
An advantage of Ooma Telo is that the VoIP phone service can also integrate with the Ooma Smart Security platform. While many households use the home security network to monitor their own house, it can also be used to monitor a family members house remotely via a mobile device. Available security sensors include door/window sensors, motion sensors, a garage door sensor, water sensors, and a siren.
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