For the low-income groups in the US, the government has initiated various programs for giving free or low-cost phones. The lifeline program is one of the most prominent among those that allows eligible individuals to get Obama phones. But the process of getting free Obama phones involves some steps.
How can you get an free Obama phone? The process starts with verifying your identity and checking whether you are eligible. Then, you need to confirm if someone from your household is already using free government programs. After, carry out the steps involving registration and collection of the phone.
This article will let you know all the steps descriptively to get your desired free phone. So, without wasting a moment, let’s dive into the write-up.
Overview Of Free Obama Phone Program
Free Obama phone program is referred to as the Lifeline Program, introduced by FCC in the early 90s. This program boomed under President Obama’s administration, which resulted in people calling it Obama phone. During his tenure, almost 14 million US citizens had the free phone provided by the government.
The federal lifeline assistance program aims to provide households from low-income groups to have free phones. The main motive of this program was to ensure internet access all around the country. Here, the primary focus was the low-income people who couldn’t afford a phone.
That said, the people availing of this program can get a discount on the wireless service provided by the government. Moreover, getting these free phones highly depends on the eligibility and the documents available on the part of applicants.
Eligibility Criteria For Get An Free Obama Phone
The Lifeline program allows low-income groups to enjoy the opportunity and benefits that a phone brings to their household. It enables more comprehensive connectivity, and people from every state, territory, and tribal region can get a free phone when they meet the eligibility criteria.
There are some specific requirements when we talk about eligibility. A household must have an income within or below 135% of the poverty threshold to be eligible. In addition, participation in any of the assistance programs is required, which are mentioned below:
- Federal housing assistance
- Medicaid
- Supplemental security income
- Pension and survival benefits program
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program
Documentation Required For getting An Free Obama Phone
You must prove your eligibility to the authority to get the Obama phone. This can be done when you provide documents with accurate information about your background and income. That said, the required documents for obtaining an Obama phone are listed below:
- If employed, then the current income statement from the current employer.
- If retired, then pension statement benefits
- State’s, federal or tribal tax return statement
- Veteran benefits statement
- Unemployment benefits statement
- Divorce decree
- Child support award statement
- Every other necessary documentation that includes transactions or income.
Other than these, you might need some additional documents as some phone companies use those to verify identity. Some of those documents are listed below:
- Driving license
- Unexpired permanent residence card
- Citizenship certificate
- Social security card
- Alien resident card
- Unexpired weapons permit
- Passport
- Assistance program document
- Naturalization certificate
Terms & Conditions Of Free Obama Phone
To get a free phone from the lifeline program of the government, a household or a member of a household has to abide by some of the terms and conditions. These terms and conditions are listed below:
- The benefit of the lifeline program is one per household. Here, the household is an economic unit with individuals contributing to income and expenditures.
- Not using the services of the lifeline program for 60 days will terminate the subscription.
- Carrier would impose the toll charges based on the service availed. Households should inform first if they don’t plan to take benefits.
How To Apply And Get A Free Obama Phone?
For applying and getting a free Obama phone, you must perform steps involving paperwork and verifying eligibility. The stages in this procedure are listed below:
Step 1: Check your income
The first step would be to figure out whether you are eligible for this free phone or not. In this regard, you need to assess your income and see whether it meets the federal poverty guidelines.
Again, the federal poverty threshold isn’t the same for all the states. If you live in states like Alaska and Hawaii, there will be different guidelines, which you need to reassess for eligibility.
Step 2: Identify Program Participation
Getting a free Obama phone requires participation in various or single government assistance programs. If you already have participated in some, check whether those programs match the eligibility criteria of the lifeline program. If you aren’t involved in any programs, you must ensure participation to be eligible for a free phone.
Step 3: Verify free phone in the household
If someone in your household is already enjoying a free phone from the lifeline program, you wouldn’t be eligible. Only a single member of a household can avail of the free phone as the policy from FCC is one phone per household.
Step 3: Choose a company
The free Obama phones are offered via listed companies by a state. You must choose a company by assessing its offerings and plans that meet your needs.
Step 4: Apply for a free phone
After deciding about a particular company and its plans, reach out and perform all the necessary functions. In this step, you might need to provide them with various documents we have already discussed above.
This step will end with verifying your identity, which might require additional documents other than the mandatory ones.
Step 5: Receive the phone
Once you have met the eligibility criteria of the lifeline program, your application will be approved. The company you signed up for will send you the phone, and you can use it for all the benefits upon receiving it.
Which Mobile Models Does The Free Obama Phone Program Offer?
The lifeline program offers free phones from different companies with decent specifications. Some of the notable models are listed below:
Alcatel 3V
The Alcatel 3V is a great touchscreen-free government phone with some quality features. It is an excellent phone for enjoying movies and videos, thanks to its 6.0-inch display. With a battery of 3000 mAh, it enables users to have a phone with good talk time.
The major specifications of this device are listed below:
- CPU: Quad-core 1.45 GHz
- Display: 6.0 inches IPS LCD
- Battery: 3000 mAh
- Camera: Dual ( Main: 12 MP and Selfie: 5 MP)
- Storage: 16 GB/32 GB
- RAM: 2 GB
Samsung Galaxy S9
As a government grant, getting a Samsung Galaxy S9 can be the best possible deal for anyone. This phone offers some exquisite features that are hardly available on models received from grants, and it comes with an AMOLED display with an excellent screen resolution.
You can easily use this phone without worrying as it has fast charging capabilities and a powerful battery. Other than this, the camera performance and also internal storage are adequate. To get an overview of this phone, have a glimpse of its specs listed below:
- CPU: Octa-core 4x 2.7 GHz Mongoose M3 and 4x 1.4 GHz Cortex-A55
- Display: 5.8 inches Super AMOLED
- Battery: 3000 mAh (Non-removable)
- Camera: 12 MP (Main) and 8 MP (Selfie)
- RAM: 4 GB
- Internal Storage: 64/128/256 GB
LG K30
This phone from LG comes with a sleek design, which is suitable for all age groups. It has an HD quality that can play and stream videos at a good resolution. The best part about this phone is its battery, which offers 15 hours of talk time after a single charge.
Some of the notable specifications of this model are listed below:
- CPU: Quad-core 1.4 GHz Cortex A53
- Display: 5.2 inches IPS LCD
- RAM: 2 GB
- Internal Storage: 32 GB
- Battery: 2880 mAh (Non-removable)
- Camera: 13 MP (Main) and 5 MP (Selfie)
Samsung Galaxy A10
Phones from the Galaxy A series are top-notch when it comes to offerings. The Galaxy A10 is one of the modern mid-range phones you can get for free under government grants. This phone is Android 9.0 and has a super responsive fingerprint sensor.
What you’ll like the most is the infinity display, enabling you to enjoy videos at high resolution. Some of the notable specs of this phone are given below:
- CPU: Octa-core 2x 1.6 GHz Cortex A-73 and 6x 1.35 GHz Cortex A-53
- RAM: 2/4 GB
- Display: 6.2 Inches IPS LCD
- Internal Storage: 32 GB
- Camera: 13 MP (Main) and 5 MP (Selfie)
- Battery: 3400 mAh
Frequently Asked Questions
Getting the Obama phone requires a lot of documents, which might confuse many. To make things clear, here are the answers to some of the most asked questions:
What are the carriers offering free Obama phones?
Various carriers will help you get the Obama phone with different plans. Some of the prominent ones are:
- Safelink Wireless
- Assist Wireless
- StandUp Wireless
- True Wireless
- Alaska Communications
- Wireless for hope
- Terracom Wireless
- Cintex Wireless
How many free minutes do you get with the Obama phone?
Any household meeting the eligibility to have a free cell phone will get 250 minutes of free wireless service per month.
Do Obama phones have internet?
Yes, Obama phones come with internet plans at a meager cost. The FCC enables subsidies to low-income groups to ensure the internet for all.
Can you have more than one Obama Phone?
It is only possible to have one Obama phone per household per the guidelines of the FCC.
Conclusion
To empower the low-income groups, a free phone in every household is a commendable step by the government. During the tenure of the Obama administration, the grants were at an all-time high. The frequency might lower now, but you can still get a free phone, given that you are eligible.
To seek a free phone from the government, you must review the eligibility criteria and manage all documentation. The process might seem lengthy but worth performing as you can get some good handset models.
Moreover, the free Obama phone comes with toll charges and a limitation of one per household. Before applying, you must consider this factor.