My father is 70 years old and is currently living off of social security payments. He has no other source of income which means he lives fairly close to poverty. He has applied to many government assistance programs which really helps him to get on by in life. One program that I recently found out about was the free cell phones for senior citizens program. Under this program, my dad would be able to get a free cell phone which is paid for by the government. I was excited about this program because it would be great if my dad could carry a cell phone where ever he went. I could keep in contact with him and know that he is safe.
I told my dad about this program and he agreed with me that it would be a very good idea to apply for the senior citizen cell phone. So I went online and tried to find where we could apply. There are several companies that seem to offer this program. They include Safelink Wireless, Reachout Wireless, and Assurance Wireless. After much research we decided to go with Safelink Wireless because that was the only program that was available in our state. Each company has some presence in some states but not all states so you would have to see what is available where you live.
To apply from the cell phone through Safelink, we had to fill out some forms and also provided some information. For people that want to apply, you have to show your proof of income because that is what is used to determine whether you get free cell phones for the elderly. Since my dad was already on several other government assistance programs, all he had to do was show proof that he is participating in those programs in order to get a free cell phone.
My dad was able to get a free cell phone plus 60 free minutes each month. He was under no obligation and did not have to sign a contract. If he were to use up the free minutes each month, then he could chose to purchase additional minutes. So far he has not had to buy anymore minutes because the free minutes are enough for his purposes. He only makes a call when absolutely necessary. He does not enjoy talking on the phone much. I believe this is a great program for seniors and hope this program continues running forever.
