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Free Wireless phones for the poor.
  • SAHDude
    Posts: 130Member
    The Government is  providing the poor with wireless (cell) phones. 1.68 Billion dollars.


  • [Deleted User]
    Posts: 1,551
    Link?
  • chaosmomchaosmom
    Posts: 3,846Member
    I know in NC, there is already Safelink & Assurance(?). It is cell phones for people that qualify for other assistance. They are just basic phones with 200 minutes a month. It is so you have a phone for emergencies & for prospective employers to be able to contact you.
  • atlantamommy
    Posts: 212Member
    there are commercials about it on tv here.  (usually during mid day or late at night.)
  • [Deleted User]
    Posts: 2,528
    @Chaosmom I can understand that. If they were just handing out cell phone plans I was gonna flip. Wonder if they monitor usage? What if they use all their minutes? Are they just SOL?
    Get me a damn beer.
  • chaosmomchaosmom
    Posts: 3,846Member
    They have no way to control what you *actually* use the phone for. That's just the reasoning behind it. And one of the plans, you can buy more minutes if you run out. Otherwise, you are SOL!
  • LoveLove
    Posts: 12,789Administrator, Moderator
    That's been available in MS for, I think, about 2 years now! I get flyers in the mail all the time. If you receive SNAP, TANIF, or even if your kids eat free at school, your family qualifies. It's a simple little cell, with 250 minutes pre paid per month, no rollover. My SIL has one.

    community-manager


  • SAHDude
    Posts: 130Member
    The plan has run AMOK.  $1.6 Billion was spent in 2011 for this of TAXPAYER money.

  • shate98shate98
    Posts: 2,836Member
    we have it here too. There are always commercials on TV for it.
    "As you wander through your life, whatever be your goal,
    keep your eye upon the doughnut, not upon the hole."
  • [Deleted User]
    Posts: 1,551
    Hmm. Yea, I'm not sure how I feel about this. I'm incredibly liberal, but this seems a bit ridiculous. I could see providing a phone that ONLY dials 911 and maybe a few other numbers, but 200 minutes to anyone about anything? I dunno, I need to think about it.
  • forkinthehead
    Posts: 480Member
    They have been offering this in Pa for awhile. The phones are nothing fancy.  Believe they get no more than 200 minutes a month. They also have a plan that costs ten dollars a month. I honestly don't know if its a 200 minute plan or more.


  • AnonUser28
    Posts: 2,083Guest
    IMHO better to spend money on helping the poor have the opportunity to call their doctors/prospective employer/family/daycare than spending it on bombs!
  • AnonUser24
    Posts: 2,607Guest
    I agree @collegemom. Pretty difficult to get a job if prospective employers have no way to contact you.
  • AnonUser28
    Posts: 2,083Guest
    Exactly! Won't this help to remove them from social programs in the long run? It is pretty much impossible to get along in today's world without some form of communication. But then again, I am a Canadian, so we do have different views on alot of these type of issues. I don't want to offend anyone, but sometimes I just have to shake my head over the programs American's complain about supporting, when the military spending is so out of control.
  • AnonUser24
    Posts: 2,607Guest
    Amen
  • chaosmomchaosmom
    Posts: 3,846Member
    I agree about needing a way to verify if the same people/households are getting multiple phones & putting an end to that abuse. But there isn't a way to control WHO you call. How much money are you willing to throw away verifying that numbers are to prospective employers, dr offices, etc? It's not a tremendous amount of minutes. It averages to about 8 minutes a day. That's not a lot of "social" calls.
  • WickedDunkieJunkieWickedDunkieJunkie
    Posts: 5,861Member
    You have to be on Medicare or Foodstamps to qualify, but of course who is to say that someone doesn't have an under the table job they are making WAY more $$ on. 

    I used to get one of these phones thru Safelink after Mike & I separated & I wasn't working. Its the crappiest pos phone out there. They don't even sell these shitty Tracfones anymore. Not every person gets the whole 200-250 minutes. I personally only got 83 minutes a month. I had it for all of 3 months. I only used it when Dan wasn't home, because I used his cell when he was home. I used to it to call about jobs. 
    Then we added me to the new cell plan when he switched to AT&T and I couldn't even tell you where that POS went. 

    WDJ_Avatar_zps4536679b
    We Are The Music Makers... And We Are The Dreamers Of Dreams...

  • meandmy243meandmy243
    Posts: 6,352Member
    I have been offered this phone plan 100s of times i say no.. I manage to pay my $76 phone plan though a budget.. Even when im unemployed... I dont agree with it.. I say that it should be cut.. If you need a phone that bad get a pre paid and use your cash assistance to buy the prepaid card..
    mom of wild children
    going to the chapel 7/5/2014
  • chaosmomchaosmom
    Posts: 3,846Member
    @meandmy243 not everyone gets cash assistance. Some only get food stamps or Medicaid. It really depends on the situation whether you get cash or not. If you are that broke & living with someone else that pays all the bills, they don't give you cash.
  • irishlassirishlass
    Posts: 6,726Member
    I dont think its a bad idea. Just out of curiosity, what do those who disagree with this think that the 'TAXPAYERS' money should be spent on?
    "Be who you are and say what you feel. Because those who matter don't mind and those who mind don't matter." - Dr. Seuss
  • WickedDunkieJunkieWickedDunkieJunkie
    Posts: 5,861Member
    I can see your point @meandmy243, but when I had this little tiny phone, I didn't get cash assistance. I got $41 a month in food stamps. Only. That was it. I lived with someone who paid the rent, bills etc. But there was no landline phone. (who has a landline anymore?) I only got it to try and find a job. 
    I can see how people would abuse the situation. For instance those who have several per family etc. yet only one person is using them for whatever reason. As soon as I was able to be added to the regular cellplan, I had it cancelled. I had no need for it anymore. 


    WDJ_Avatar_zps4536679b
    We Are The Music Makers... And We Are The Dreamers Of Dreams...

  • momofeveryonemomofeveryone
    Posts: 1,716Member
    my 92 year old great grandma has one. no idea why, she has a landline and a life alert and lives with my grandma. i dont think she knew she could turn it down, the way she discribed it to me was off. my great uncle handles all her bills ad such and i think when he found out she was eligable he got it for her. even though she def. doesnt need it. that and its odd going through my phone contacts and see 'great g-ma cell' lol
    we got the house!!!!! i have worked so hard for 5 years to get us in a spot to buy! isnt it cute?!?!?!?
  • meandmy243meandmy243
    Posts: 6,352Member
    I was told that i can no longer get one even though im on snap... Thats just what my case worker said..
    mom of wild children
    going to the chapel 7/5/2014
  • lawschoolmommy
    Posts: 225Member
    They offer $1/month landlines and community voicemail here.  Maybe they have something for cell phones, but I'm not sure.  The community voicemail thing seems to be fairly efficient, financially.  No phones are actually given out, just phone numbers.  When you call the number, it goes straight to voicemail and then users can check their messages from any phone by calling in.  That way employers can still contact you and it sounds like a regular messaging system.

    all cell phones, even deactivated ones, can make 911 calls.
  • InsanityandChaosInsanityandChaos
    Posts: 1,924Member
    I don't think it's a bad thing. I think that everyone gets so up in arms just hearing anything to do with welfare anymore without really thinking it through first, because of all the abuse of it you hear about. I for one would rather see government funds going towards something like that than some of the other bs I read about.
  • [Deleted User]
    Posts: 5,232
    I imagine myself to be particularly liberal... HOWEVER... Why cell phones? Is it cheaper to sustain than landlines? Cause my thought is- if it's so they can have it in emergencies and potential employers, why not a landline? I thought THOSE were cheaper... JMO.
  • SammieSammie
    Posts: 7,283Administrator, Moderator
    I have never had a landline of my own, and nobody in my family has one currently, so I could be totally off base, but do they run any type of credit check before offering you home phone service? 

    I do know that, depending on what company you use, if you are in arrears with any of their sister companies then they will not offer you any new services. So if you were behind on your old cable bill from before your home got foreclosed and you lost your job...then you might not be able to get a landline. 

    Also, for homeless or displaced persons, a landline would do them no good. In order for a message phone to be effective, it would have to be someone reliable and consistent and not everyone knows someone who is willing to do that.

    This is the first I'm hearing about this sort of program, so I don't know any details, but these were the few issues that jumped to my mind about landlines vs cell phones.

    community-manager


  • AnonUser28
    Posts: 2,083Guest
    @sammie, you are absolutely right! I had considered pointing it out, but decided to leave it alone. I personally have had this problem, in most areas there are only one or two carriers for home phones, if you owe them or one of their sister companies, then it is impossible to subscribe. As far as cells go, they require a credit check, often a security deposit, a contract, an installation fee, etc. It is difficult to get a phone if you owe money or have bad credit.
  • [Deleted User]
    Posts: 5,232
    That makes sense @sammie- I'm not against the idea, just didn't quite *get* why cell phones vs. landlines.
  • Samantha
    Posts: 72Member
    @lawschoolmommy community voicemail sounds like a great idea!  About the cell phones... can't you call 911 from any cell phone, even if it doesn't have service?  Maybe that's not the case everywhere?  I don't have a problem with giving the phones out for job searches, just putting my two cents in.
  • chaosmomchaosmom
    Posts: 3,846Member
    @candid We have the option of either here in NC. My MIL got the landline when she was still alive but it was just a discount. She had to go through one of those store front companies due to credit issues & still had to pay extra each month. I would assume the cell phone option is due to a large number of people on assistance that are in transition. They may jump from house to house or live temporarily with a family member & a landline is just not a feasible option. Plus, if the government has a contract to only pay $10 a month, then cost wise, its just as good.
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