You’ve most likely heard of the Lifeline Assistance program before, right? It is a government program that offers discounted telecommunicational services to households with low income (less than 135% of the U.S. poverty guideline) or the ones that have a household member participating in a governmental program (SNAP, Medicaid, Section 8, SSI, NSLP, Veterans Pension or Survivor Benefit).
There are also some wireless companies that added their additional offers to the general Lifeline Assistance program discount. With many of them, you can get a completely free monthly plan and even a free government phone or even a smartphone in some cases.
Florida Government Free Phone Application Procedure
As mentioned above, your household must have a low income, which means it makes 135% of the U.S. poverty guideline or less or has a household member participate in one of the governmental programs.
If you are eligible, there are several options on how to apply. By far the simplest and the fastest is to choose one of the wireless providers that take part in the Lifeline Assistance program (the best options re provided below) and apply through their website. This process normally takes no more than 5 minutes.
Visit the Free Government Cell Phone Companies or visit the wireless provider’s website and look for the ‘Lifeline program’ or ‘free government phone’. They all have either “Apply” or “Enroll” or some similar button, which you must click on. Normally, you will have to enter your zip code so they will specify your application according to your state. Simply follow the instruction to complete the process.
Another option is to apply by standard mail, where you can send a filled out application (http://www.floridaopc.gov/Documents/PDF/Lifeline_english.pdf) along with all the copies of required documents to the wireless provider’s address or their local representative. If you prefer, you can do the same in person, by visiting a local wireless provider’s representative.
Whichever way you decide to apply, you will need a copy of document proving you identity (copy of ID card, passport, birth certificate, or similar) AND proving low-income (social security award letter, W-2, U.S. 1040 income tax form, or similar) OR proving participation in a governmental program (member’s card copy).
Full list of low-income per person and a full list of documents accepted to prove low income can be found on the site of Office of Public Counsel: http://www.floridaopc.gov/Pages/Lifeline.aspx.
Use each wireless provider’s information provided below to decide what the best option for you is.
Free Government Lifeline Phone Companies in Florida
In this section, we will take a look at the wireless companies that provide Lifeline assistance. We will first consider those that can provide you with FREE deals and even a free Florida government phone.
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Wireless Providers That Offer FREE Phones and FREE Deals
As we’ve mentioned above, in general, the Lifeline program includes a monthly discount applied to your telecommunication services ($7.25 – $9.25; depending on service), however, there are companies that decided to offer additional free support – generous deals and even free government phones.
Access Wireless
Access Wireless has a very good nationwide coverage, offers free long-distance calls, and offers international calling availability. To apply, visit https://www.accesswireless.com/lifeline/Availability, enter your zip code, click the “Learn More” button, and on the next page click on the “ENROLL” button.
Lifeline Plan:
Access Wireless provides customers with a free monthly allotment of 250 minutes, unlimited text messages, and 3GB free data each month.
The free package includes Free voicemail, Caller ID & Call Waiting, Free domestic long distance, Nationwide coverage, and Exclusive Wireless Rewards program.
You may also receive a mobile phone free of charge. Once you are an approved customer, you also have an option to upgrade your phone and add it to your plan.
Customer care:
If you have any additional questions about Access Wireless Lifeline plan or regarding their devices use the online form (link below) or call the phone number that applies to your position (new or existing customer).
- Online contact form: https://www.accesswireless.com/contact-us
- Phone support (available during working hours: Monday – Friday: 8am – Midnight EST, Saturday: 9am – Midnight EST, Sunday: 10am – 7pm EST):
- New Customers: 1-888-900-5899
- Existing Customers: 1-866-594-3644
- Address: Access Wireless / i-Wireless LLC, 1 Levee Way Newport, Kentucky 41071 United States
- Find a local store: https://www.accesswireless.com/buy-cards
Phones:
You may also receive a mobile phone free of charge. Once you are an approved customer, you have the option to upgrade your phone and add to your plan, of course at an additional charge.
There is no exact info available on what type of phones come for free. Some of the phones available include ZTE Flash, Samsung Transform (Ultra), Coolpad Quato II, ZTE Force, and Alcatel Revolve.
Assurance Wireless
Assurance Wireless is a federal Lifeline Assistance program brought to you by Virgin Mobile. They offer great coverage and offer very generous deals to those who qualify. You can visit to find out more about Assurance Wireless Free Phone
To apply, visit https://www.assurancewireless.com/, enter your zip code and then click on the “APPLY NOW” button on the next page.
Lifeline Plan:
Assurance Wireless offers FREE 3GB of data, FREE UNLIMITED texts, and FREE 350 voice minutes each month.
Assurance Wireless plan also includes:
- No Annual Contract
- Nationwide Sprint® Network Coverage
- Voicemail Account, Call Waiting, and Caller ID
- 911 Access
- FREE Unlimited Calling to 211
- Calls to Customer Care are FREE
- Low International Rates to over 200 Countries
On top of that, you will also get a free android smartphone. You cannot choose a device yourself, you get the one selected by the wireless provider based on their policy and current availability.
Customer care:
If you have any additional questions about Assurance Wireless, you can get in touch with their customer support by phone or by email.
If you decide to apply by standard mail, use the address below or find a local Assurance Wireless provider and address your application there.
Phone: 1-888-321-5880
Email: [email protected]
Address: Assurance Wireless, P.O. Box 5040, Charleston, IL 61920-9907
Phones:
None of the Lifeline assistance wireless providers that offer free government phones don’t give you the option of choosing a specific device yourself and Assurance Wireless is no exception.
It is highly possible that you will receive one of the following models. For those of you, who want a more performing device, you can always upgrade. Call 1-888-321-5880 for more information.
- ZTE PrestigeTM 2
- Coolpad Illumnia
- ANS WikoTM Life
- ZTE QuestTM Plus
- ALCATEL ONETOUCH CinchTM
Safelink Wireless
SafeLink Wireless is provided by TracFone Wireless, Inc. It is solely intended for those eligible for Lifeline Assistance. Using the same coverage as the TracFone, they really offer top-notch service nationwide. You can visit to find out more about Safelink WirelessFree Phone and Visit https://www.safelinkwireless.com, enter your zip code and click the “START” button.
Lifeline Plan:
SafeLink Wireless Lifeline FREE plan includes 350 minutes, unlimited texts, and 3GB of data within Use your Own Phone program.
The free plan also includes:
- Nationwide Calling
- Voicemail
- Ability to Connect to Wi-Fi
- Caller ID
- 3 Way Calling
- Free Domestic Roaming
- Free 911
- 411 Directory Assistance
Customer care:
- Customer Support Hours: Monday – Saturday 8:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. EST, Sunday 8:00 a.m. – 7 p.m. EST
- Phone support: 1-800-723-3546
- Address: SafeLink Wireless PO Box 220009, Milwaukie, OR 97269-0009
Find a local dealer: https://www.safelink.com/wps/portal/home/retailers
Phones:
SafeLink Currently doesn’t offer a government free phone to any Lifeline applicant within the state of Florida, as they only offer a so-called Use your own Phone plan.
You do have the option of upgrading/purchasing a mobile phone of any rank if you prefer to do so.
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Lifeline Discount Companies in Florida
Herein we will take a look at the companies that follow the general Lifeline Assistance program, which means they only offer the Lifeline general discount ($9.25 per month for monthly telephone service – wireline or wireless – or broadband or bundled service).
CenturyLink
CenturyLink is not a wireless provider, however, they do offer internet, tv, and home phone services. Thus, their offers might be suitable for those of you looking for home phones or internet services.
To apply and learn more, visit https://www.centurylink.com/aboutus/community/community-development/lifeline.html.
Lifeline Plan:
Standard Lifeline – provides federal monthly support of $9.25. In some states, additional monthly support is also available
Tribal Lifeline – offers a deeper monthly discount as well as installation assistance through the Link-Up program to qualifying customers who live on federally-recognized Tribal lands.
Customer care:
There are several options on how to get in touch with CenturyLink customer support. Choose the one that best suits you.
- Phone (7 am – 9 pm (ET) Monday–Friday): 866-642-0444
- Facebook Messenger (Monday – Friday 7 am — Midnight CT, Weekends 9 am — 7 pm CT): http://m.me/CenturyLink
- Twitter (Monday – Friday 7 am — Midnight CT, Weekends 9 am — 7 pm CT): https://twitter.com/messages/compose?recipient_id=22149608
- Online support: https://www.centurylink.com/home/help/contact.html
Phones:
CenturyLink is suitable for those looking for Home Phones. They do not offer mobile phones. You can select a home phone alone, or include it in a bundle. Visit https://www.centurylink.com/home/phone/ for more information.
T-Mobile
You definitely know T-Mobile as they are one of the largest international wireless providers. They enable Florida citizens to use Lifeline assistance discounts on their services.
To apply, you must go print out and fill in the Lifeline National Verifier Application Form: https://www.t-mobile.com/content/dam/t-mobile/assets/pdf/2019-National-Verifier-Application.pdf.
Lifeline Plan:
T-Mobile offers those who qualify a standard $9.25 monthly discount.
More details are available at https://www.t-mobile.com/offers/lifeline-program.
Customer care:
Phone: 1-800-937-8997
Addresses: T-Mobile Customer Relations, PO Box 37380, Albuquerque, NM 87176-7380
Local stores: https://www.t-mobile.com/store-locator
Phones:
As mentioned above, T-Mobile doesn’t offer a free government phone since they only follow the general Lifeline assistance program. However, as a customer, you have an option to purchase any of their phones. They offer a full range of basic phones and smartphones.
To view available models and their current prices visit https://www.t-mobile.com/cell-phones.
Final Thoughts
There might not be as many Lifeline Assistance program providers in Florida as there are in some other states, however, the information above should be sufficient to help you chose among the ones available. If you are looking for a FREE plan and a FREE government phone, Access Wireless and Assurance Wireless are the wireless providers you should turn to.
