Community Voicemail and Lifeline Phones

As many of you know, the Community Voicemail program is coming to an end after 23 years. We will not be able to enroll any new participants after the end of this year and the service will end in March 2016. Maureen Jones, the ConnectUp Program Coordinator, will be working with our partner agencies to transition people to other voicemail providers such as Laser Voicemail or Google Voice. More information about that transition will be coming as the specifics are decided.

Although the Community Voicemail program is ending, the Lifeline cellphones which provide a free handset with 250 minutes per month will continue without any changes. If you currently have a phone through Safelink, Assurance Wireless or any of the other Lifeline providers, there will be no change to your service.

Resource Wire, the broadcast message and email newsletter, will continue as well. After the Community Voicemail program comes to an end, it will be sent out in digital form only but the same content will continue.

Phone and Internet Information Now Hosted by Interconnection 7/23/15

Solid Ground has partnered with InterConnection to provide information on low cost phone and internet services. This is the same resource previously provided by the Connect Up program. You can find information on different phone and internet discounts on the InterConnection website at http://interconnection.org/get-connected.php.  More on this and many other resources can always be found by going to win211.org calling 2-1-1 in King County.

Thank you, Interconnection! You are ensuring continued access to this vital information for the people in the community.

Help Save Community Voice Mail and Avoid a Government Shutdown!

Our state legislators have still not agreed on a final budget. This means that our government is heading towards a shutdown on July 1, and many state funded programs helping families and individuals living on low-incomes will stop providing services, including funding for Community Voice Mail!

We need to tell our legislators to come to a budget agreement before the end of June, and include Community Voice Mail in their final budget! 

Please call the legislative Hotline at 1.800.562.6000 and leave a message for your State Legislators that says: 

Please include Community Voice Mail in the final budget, a program that helps people in need stay connected. Please don’t allow the government to shut down, a move which will hurt many people in our state. 

Also, please email your legislators through this handy action page. Just put in your contact information, and click Submit.

Thank you for your time and help.

We still need your help to save funding for Community Voice Mail!

The legislature was unable to come to a decision on our state’s budget on time, so they have been called back to a special 30-day session, which started this week. We need to keep the need for Community Voice Mail in their minds as they write our new state budget, so it doesn’t fall to the wayside while they make difficult choices on programs to cut.  

Please call the Legislative Hotline at 1.800.562.6000 and leave a message for all of your State Legislators that says the following:

"Please fully fund the Community Voice Mail program. Lifeline does not serve everyone and Community Voice Mail provides a vital service for vulnerable people who will otherwise fall through the cracks. Everyone deserves way to stay connected and to access the critical resources they need."

Also, please email your legislators through this handy action page. Just put in your contact information, and click Submit.

Legislators have been told that because we have the government Lifeline program, there is no need for Community Voice Mail. We know this is not true. Feel free to customize your message with a personal story of how these services have helped you or others, or why Lifeline is not a complete solution. You don't need to know who your legislators are to call, but if you don't know and want to find out, you can visit DistrictFinder. When you call, they will ask you for your address. You can use any address where you're staying, even a shelter. 

You might think your voice does not matter. But legislators rarely hear from people, so every voice has a chance to make a huge impact. If you haven’t had a chance to call, please call or write as soon as you can because decisions are being made NOW and every call helps make the case for the importance of this service.

Thank you for your time and help!

ConnectUp Program Changes

Greetings,

We want to let you know about some changes coming to ConnectUp due to reductions in operational resources.

First, our core services will remain: King County Community Voice Mail services will continue. We will still take live calls for Community Voice Mail signup, technical support for CVM users and agency partners, and other CVM needs Monday through Friday 9-5 at 694.6744.

The Resource Wire email list will also continue as it has. ConnectUp will continue to compile and distribute information on job opportunities, social services and free events a couple times a week and send it out via email, voicemail, and social media. We encourage people to join The Resource Wire email list, and follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.

Unfortunately, we will be limiting our Phone and Internet Resources program.

Starting 2/25 ConnectUp will only answer live calls for phone and internet assistance on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 AM - 4 PM. People will still be able to leave a message anytime and we will call them back on the next Tuesday or Thursday.

Also, we will no longer be distributing brochures or providing workshops and presentations on phone and internet discount programs. We encourage people to visit our website for phone and internet discount information at  www.solid-ground.org/connectup.

Thank you for your support and understanding during this transition.

Solid Ground ConnectUp Staff

The Budget Mobile store has shut down

We at ConnectUp have received numerous calls, emails and walk-ins in the last 3 weeks regarding the closure of the Budget Mobile store on MLK Way (where low income people could walk-in and get a free phone with 250 free minutes and 250 free minutes a month); And we would like to clarify a few things about what's going on with Budget Mobile.

The Budget Mobile Store at 7101 MLK Jr. Way S. is closed for good. It has not moved, it was not just closed for the holidays, it is not re-opening anytime soon. The store closed unexpectedly on December 8th. The store manager was told on 12/8 by the Budget Mobile corporation to close the store that day. We found out that the store was closed on 12/8 as well (sorry we didn't send this message sooner).

Budget Mobile, the national phone company is still in business. The Budget Mobile national corporation closed the Seattle store, but the Budget Mobile company has not gone out of business.  Call Budget Mobile national to replace lost or broken phones at 888.777.4007.

There is no other local store where you can walk-in and get a free Lifeline phone in-person, on-the-spot. The Budget Mobile store, that is now closed, was the only one in Washington state. Total Call Mobile (another Lifeline phone company) is planning to open a store front in Seattle this year, but we don't know when or where that will be yet.

Total Call Mobile, is signing people up for free Lifeline phones on the streets of Belltown/Downtown Seattle. They don't have a store front either, but if you can catch them, they do give out free phones with 250 free minutes on-the-spot to DSHS recipients. Call Eddie at 702-913-2017 to find out the Total Call outreach schedule.

Jones Community Solutions can sign people up for Budget Mobile phones and provide Budget Mobile customer service (additional minutes and re-certification). Jones Community Solutions' offices are at 5623 Rainier Ave S, Seattle, WA 98118 and their phone number is 206.258.1441. They are in the office Monday-Friday 11 AM - 2 PM. But they cannot always provide phones same day (if they have phones in stock, they can) but if they don't have phones available, it may take about a week to get a phone from them. Also, they may or may not be able to provide replacement phones, depending on if they phones in stock. It is a good idea to call first before going to their office. 

Opportunities this Week

This message is about upcoming job opportunities, events and career trainings in the Seattle area. 

Care Day is this Friday, August 15 from 10am - 4pm at Bothell High School. Care Day strives to connect people experiencing homelessness and poverty in our local community with the services and resources they need, in one place, on one day. Attendees will enjoy a hot meal and receive free health services, haircuts, legal assistance, and access to public benefits, counseling, and employment training.  ConnectUp will be there offering information on Community Voicemail, Resource Wire, free phone services and low-cost internet options.

On Friday, August 22^nd from 11am – 1pm FamilyWorks Food Bank and Solid Ground offer a Baby Boost Fair. This free event is for parents on a limited income. Learn more about health and nutrition resources, connect with important parenting programs and social service agencies and get free items for infants and toddlers, including feeding and hygiene products. The event will be held at the Family Works Food Bank at 1501 N 45th Street, Seattle. 

WorkSource Renton is hosting a Mock Interview Session with Employer Guests on Tuesday, August 19 from 1pm-3pm at 500 SW 7th Street. PCL Construction and Smart Talent will conduct mini mock interviews with each person (10 minute timed interview and 5 minutes for feedback). Customers will give the employer their resumes and job titles they want to practice interviewing for ahead of the interviews. Essentially, we want applicants to be able to succinctly express why they're a good fit for a particular target job they're interested in. Having real employers helps replicate an interview situation and is an invaluable service for interview practice, employer feedback, and employer networking. Registration is required! please email first and last names directly to cynthia.lavinthal@kingcounty.gov and use the email subject line "Renton Mock Interviews." Cynthia will email back to confirm if she still has space to accommodate the request.

WorkSource Redmond is having an Employer Panel & Recruiting Event on Wednesday, August 20 from 1pm-3:30pm. 35-50 job seekers can meet with Kalles Group/ SumBridge, Team Builder and Pioneer Human Services. Due to limited space at WorkSource Redmond, we're holding this session at the Redmond Library,15990 NE 85th St. Registration is required at the event page worksourceredmond2.eventbrite.com

Worksource Renton has a hiring event this Thursday, August 14^th from 10am-12pm. 500 SW 7th Street Suite 100. Positions to be filled include an Entry Level Accountant, Administrative Assistant, Warehouse & General Labor, and High Level Accountant.  Contact lcorwin@esd.wa.gov to register. 

Want to see more job openings? 

Check out our sources:

Mayors Office for Senior Citizens Job List (7/31/14)
Job Leads! WorkSource King County Business Services Blog
WorkSource Job Fair & Hiring Event Calendar

Or try these job search sites:

Beehive  Craig's List  Glass Door  Indeed  Jobaline  Monster  NWjobs

Community Voice Mail budget action alert! Please contact your WA State legislator!

Community Voice Mail in Washington is in danger of losing state funding - loss of this funding could lead to the end of Community Voice Mail in much of the state. Please contact your WA State Senator now with this message "Please pass E2SSHB 1971 & ESSB 5034 and protect access to telecommunications services for low-income and disabled persons." Personal stories about Community Voice Mail are appreciated.

Click here to find your Senator or leave a message by calling 1-800-562-6000, M-F, between 8 AM and 4:30 PM. If you don’t have an address, you can list the address of where you’re staying or a social service agency you’re working with.

Thanks for your help!

Fact vs. Fiction About ‘Obamaphones’ (Lifeline)

Conservatives have recently been attacking the Lifeline cell phone program, which they call  "Obamaphones" and The U.S. Congress is holding a hearing this Thursday, April 25th to talk about potentially restricting or eliminating parts of the Lifeline program. Our national partner Springwire sent a resource broadcast voice message on Monday asking Community Voice Mail users for their stories to submit to Congress on how Lifeline has helped them.

Check out this infographic "Fact vs. Fiction About ‘Obamaphones" by Erin Zipper. And read the following article "Obamaphones’: A Case Study in How Race Perverts the Spending Debate" by Jamilah King.

Tea party Republicans have used race to demonize a longstanding government phone subsidy, saying it’s an example of “wasteful spending.” But the program’s an important one for millions of subscribers living in poverty. “Without this program, 15 million low-income families would literally be choosing between feeding their children or going without a dial tone,” says FCC Commissioner Mignon Clyburn, an Obama appointee.

Read Jamilah King’s explanation of how the program became one of the right’s favorite memes about poor, black people—and how, as a result, it finds itself facing the budget ax. Below, Erin Zipper separates myth from reality. (reprinted below the infographic)

‘Obamaphones’: A Case Study in How Race Perverts the Spending Debate
by Jamilah King, Colorlines, Monday, April 8, 2013

As Washington has debated the sequester and the fake crisis of federal spending, some leading conservatives have revived a familiar meme about an old program called Lifeline, which is a longstanding federal subsidy created to make phone service accessible to people who are elderly, very low-income or living in rural areas. Like the furor surrounding Obamacare in 2009, the ongoing stir over “Obama phones,” as the program has been dubbed, is instructive. It illustrates just how bizarre the right can make reality look when it uses race to demonize government.

Conservatives such as talk show host Rush Limbaugh and Rep. Tim Griffin (R-Ark.) have cast the nearly 30-year-old Lifeline program as wasteful and targeted it for elimination. In a video on his congressional page, Griffin spends more than three minutes bashing what he calls the government’s “unchecked spending.” The ad rests on the image of a black man screaming, “Get your free government phone today!” from a car.

The recent attack is actually nearly four years in the making. Early in Obama’s first term conservatives began characterizing the program as “phone stamps” and calling Lifeline pre-paid cellular units “Obama phones.” Trading on the welfare queen stereotype, they’ve also accused black people in low-income communities of voting for the president strictly because his administration doled out free cell phones.

As the narrative goes, the federal government is using taxpayers’ (translation: white people’s) hard-earned money to maintain an alleged welfare state and support the extravagant lifestyles of poor black folks in places like Cleveland, where video of an African-American woman singing the program’s praises went viral last year.

The resulting debate has finally put the program at risk: Some Democratic lawmakers have buckled under Republican pressure and agreed to make cuts.

FCC commissioner Mignon Clyburn, an Obama appointee, attempted to “set the record straight”] about Lifeline at a Consumer Federation of America assembly last month. “Without this program, 15 million low-income families would literally be choosing between feeding their children or going without a dial tone that potentially could save their lives and put them on a better economic path,” she said. But Clyburn’s fighting against years of powerful myth-making.

“The point of government assistance ought to be to remove people from it,” Limbaugh declared on his radio show last September. “But with the Democrat [sic] Party and Obama, the objective [of the Lifeline program] is to increase the number of people, and they use you,” he said, alluding to taxpayers.

Of course, the truth is much more nuanced.

The Truth About Lifeline

In 1985, President Ronald Reagan, the patron saint of the tea party, and his Republican-led FCC started Lifeline. The goal was straightforward: To make basic telephone service accessible to the vast majority of people living in the United States. Underpinning that goal was the fundamental idea that in 20th century having a telephone wasn’t a luxury but a necessity.

Lifeline was also simple in practice. If you couldn’t afford phone service—which back then meant a landline—you’d fill out an application. If you were approved, the phone company in your area would provide service at a discount and it would receive a federal subsidy to help make up the difference.

In 1996, a Democratic-led Congress made two key revisions to the Telecommunications Act in keeping with the FCC’s overall mission to provide universal telephone service. First, in a nod to the growing use of hand-held cell phones (rather than “car phones”), and the eventual decline of landlines, the law described “universal service” as something that would evolve. Between 1997 and 2007, the number of wireless subscribers in the United States grew from from 47 million to more than 243 million.

Second, Congress began requiring every company offering telephone service across state lines to contribute a portion of their annual profits to a newly established Universal Service Fund. Contributions to the fund would help underwrite telephone costs for low-income households.

With the 1996 law, the FCC created a federal subsidy that would, in effect, pay for itself. If telecom companies paid a portion of their profits to the Universal Service Fund and agreed to extend service to low-income and rural households, they’d see the money again in the form of a federal contribution.

Today 13.5 million households rely on Lifeline subsidies, a number that includes cell phone subscriptions.

Poverty Pays

The government has encouraged Lifeline providers to market their federally subsidized service to consumers more aggressively. One company in particular has made immense profits by doing so: TracFone, the Mexico-based subsidiary of Latin America’s largest telecom operator, América Móbil. TracFone is the company behind SafeLink Wireless, a widely advertised program targeting Lifeline enrollees. In 2009, TracFone received more than over $189 million in federal subsidies to serve low-income subscribers. Put another way, 20 percent of all Lifeline payments went to TracFone.

Due in large part to TracFone’s efforts, enrollment in the Lifeline wireless program grew from 7.1 million users in 2008 to 8.6 million users in 2009. This is what Republicans point to as some sort of Obama-led socialist expansion. “Lifeline (aka ‘phone stamps’) has been growing by leaps and bounds since 2008, at significant cost to taxpayers,” wrote John Sexton, a writer at Breitbart.com last June.

Neither TracFone nor the FCC is trying to hide the company’s growing market share. In a 2010 report the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office noted how the company “has always considered low-income consumers its customer base and, thus, has experience advertising and marketing to this population…TracFone’s participation in the Lifeline program is an integral part of the company’s business model and enrolling low-income customers is in the company’s interest.”

TracFone has become one of the nation’s most popular wireless carriers. Virgin Wireless is also trying to get a piece of the Lifeline pie.

Reality Bites

While TracFones are common, they’re not say, iPhones or Samsung Galaxies. They offer voice-to-voice service but no WiFi access. They also tend to be prepaid and only last 50 to 250 minutes a month. These are the phones under such intense scrutiny by conservatives.

“If you’re trying to deal with social services, you will not be able to take care of business [with 250 minutes a month],” says Ana Montes, the director of organizing at The Utility Reform Network (TURN) in California. Montes says that her group often works with people who are homeless.

Still, in response to some legitimate claims of Lifeline subscribers not being able to verify their eligibility for the program, the FCC last year introduced a series of so-called “reforms” meant to curb fraud. Now, in addition to living on an income at or below 135 percent of the poverty level or being currently enrolled in a federal assistance program, Lifeline applicants must provide their Social Security number and re-apply for the program every year. According to Montes, whose group works closely with people applying for Lifeline program, the reforms have done more harm than good.

“It has become extremely difficult for poor people to sign up for the program,” she says. “One of the things that’s being discussed at the FCC is that people now have to have ID to apply for the program. The people that need it the most can’t afford to replace that paperwork.”

A report from New Millenium Research Foundation called cell phones “an important economic tool” and found that for low-income customers, they generate an average of $259 a year by helping them find and retain income.

Reality has never stopped Republicans from vilifying federal programs for poor people and using racially charged images to do so. Clearly, even in the wonky space of telecommunications policy, race matters. “The Universal Service Fund exists because at some point we made a decision that people having phone service is essential, something everyone should have,” says Steven Renderos, a national organizer for the Oakland-based Center for Media Justice. “There’s this idea that telephone service is an essential service.”

Energy and Utility Resource Fair thursday 10/25

Do you need help paying your electric, water, phone or other utility bills? Come to the annual Energy and Utility Resource Fair this Thursday, the 25th from 1 to 3 at Asian Counseling and Referral Service, at 3639 MLK Way. At the Energy and Utility Resource Fair you will:

·         Gain knowledge about utility assistance programs
·         Learn about housing programs
·         Learn about Asian Counseling and Referral Services
·         Receive updated information on Public Health
·         Get connected to Community Voice Mail, Lifeline Cell Phones, and subsidized internet programs.

Hosted by the Seattle Human Services Department, Utility Assistance Programs, in collaboration with Seattle City Light, Seattle Public Utilities and Asian Counseling Referral Service. Please spread the word by distributing the resource fair flyer.

That’s the Energy and Utility Resource Fair at The Annual Energy, Utility and Resource Summit this Thursday October 25^th from 1 pm to 3 pm at Asian Counseling Referral Service at 3639 Martin Luther King Jr. Way S. Seattle, 98144. Metro bus routes 7, 8, 9, 42 or Link Light Rail (Mt. Baker Station).

For more information, call 206-733-9035 or email cynthia.ellison@seattle.gov.

Lifeline cell phones now accessible for homeless people

This message is about changes to the free cell phone programs for low-income people known as Lifeline. I want to let you know that the eligibility requirements for these programs have changed to allow people who are homeless or live in shared housing to access free cell phone programs. Up until now to be eligible for a lifeline cell phone you needed a unique residential mailing address, but that has changed. The new eligibility rules state that one Lifeline phone is available per household, and a household is defined as any individual or group of individuals who live together at the same address and share income and expenses. If you are homeless, you may provide a temporary home address. The home address cannot be a PO box (although you may provide a separate mailing address). The phone company will attempt to verify every 90 days that you continue to reside at the temporary address, and you must notify them within 30 days of any change of address.

There are currently 5 companies participating in the Lifeline program in Washington state. There are three pay-as-you go options from Assurance, Safelink and YourTel and two plans, from AT&T, and T-Mobile. We recommend the prepaid phones, also called ‘pay-as-you-go’ because they are less expensive and they do not require a long-term contract, monthly bills, or a credit check and there are no roaming or overage fees. All 3 of the prepaid lifeline programs offer a free phone, 250 free minutes a month, plus free voice mail, caller ID and call waiting. The phone comes with one year of service, one month’s free minutes, and new free minutes are added each month. There are two major differences between these 3 providers: The first difference is text messaging, Assurance Wireless is now offering 250 free text messages a month in addition to the 250 free minutes, while the other companies do not offer any free text messages, text messages through Safelink or YourTel count as one minute each. The other difference between the three prepaid Lifeline programs is the cost of additional minutes: Extra minute packs through SafeLink equal about 10¢ per minute, while YourTel extra minute packs equal about 5¢ per minute and Assurance extra minute packs equal about 2¢ per minute. Most people do need to buy additional minutes, as the average cell phone customer in the US uses 638 minutes a month. Additional minute packs can be purchased online, by phone and as cards at stores. Assurance extra minutes are available as either $5 for 250 extra minutes and 250 extra texts or $20 for 750 minutes and 750 extra texts, or $30 for unlimited minutes, texts and internet—only one extra minute pack may be added each month.

To be eligible for either Lifeline program you must either receive DSHS benefits or your income must be below 135% of federal poverty level. The eligible benefits are Food Stamps, Medical Assistance, Supplemental Security Income, Disability Lifeline, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, State Family Assistance, DSHS Chore Services, Refugee Assistance or Community Options Program Entry System. All the Lifeline programs require a Social Security number to apply. To qualify based on program participation you must provide your DSHS client ID number, which can be found in the top right corner of any letter addressed to you from DSHS, from your case worker or by calling the statewide Customer Service Center at 1-877-501-2233. You may also be required to mail documentation of your DSHS program participation, such as a copy of your benefit ID card, a copy of an eligibility letter from an authorized agency or current or prior year’s statement of benefits. To apply based on income your monthly household income must be below 1,256 dollars a month for a single person, 1,702 dollars a month for a family of 2, 2,147 dollars a month for a family of 3, 2,593 dollars a month for a family of 4, or 3,038 dollars a month for a family of 5, add 445 dollars a month for each additional family member. To qualify based on income, you will need to mail them documentation of your income: such as Federal or state tax return, current income statement or W2 from an employer, 3 consecutive months of current pay stubs, Social Security statement of benefits, Retirement or Pension benefits statement, Unemployment or Workers Comp statement of benefits, or other legal document that shows income.

You should also be aware that if you already receive Lifeline telephone assistance for another cell phone, or landline phone service through Washington Telephone Assistance Program, you can't receive a Lifeline cell phone without cancelling the other phone. A household is not permitted to receive a Lifeline cell phone from multiple providers. Violation of the one-per-household rule will result in de-enrollment from the Lifeline program and potential prosecution, the FCC recently kicked off 130,000 people from Lifeline programs for violating the eligibility rules. Complaints regarding Lifeline service may be directed to the Washington state Office of Attorney General, Consumer Protection Division at 1-800-551-4636.

Based on our analysis, Assurance Wireless is still the best deal overall for Lifeline cell phones, right now, because they offer free text messages and they have the lowest rates for additional minutes. To apply for Assurance just print, fill out and mail in the Assurance Wireless application or call 1-800-395-2108.

While it is great news that the Lifeline cell phone programs are now accessible to more people, we recommend that you still keep your Community Voice Mail number, so you have a stable number where you can always be reached, even if you run out of minutes and can’t afford to buy more, or you loose or break your phone. Our research has found that many people effectively use Community Voice Mail and cell phones together to save cell phone minutes, have a separate number for personal and professional contacts, maintain confidentiality, to have a backup phone number, and because they want to continue to receive our resource broadcast messages about community resources like this. Thanks for using Community Voice Mail.

CVM client focus group 10/5

Greetings! We would like to hear from you about the community voice mail program. We are figuring out what our plan is for future, and want your input as users of this service. Such as what would you would like to change about Community Voice Mail, what your needs and demands are for communications technology, and what your experience has been with telephone assistance programs. We are having a focus group of CVM clients on Wednesday October 5th at 6 PM. Free dinner and childcare will be provided. If you would like to attend please call us at 206-694-6771 to RSVP, that’s 206-694-6771. About 15 people will be selected to participate in the focus group, who will be screened to insure a diverse group of participants. If you are selected to participate in the focus group, we will call you to let you know the location and details. If the focus group is successful we may expand it into a client advisory board. Thank you for your input.

New Lifeline cell phone programs: Assurance is still the best deal

You may have heard of some of the many options out there for subsidized cell phone service for low-income people known as Lifeline. There are now six options available. The newest one is YourTel Wireless which is offering a free phone and 250 free minutes a month. This program is similar to the Lifeline prepaid wireless programs Safelink and Assurance, which also offer 250 free minutes. Also T-mobile now has a Lifeline plan which offers 145 anytime minutes, 500 night minutes and 500 weekend minutes for $6.49. This is similar to the Lifeline plans through AT&T and Sprint. We want to let you know that Assurance Wireless is still the best deal for low income people to get a cell phone.

There are two types of Lifeline cellphone programs: prepaid and plans. The plans are 1 to 2 year contracts with the phone company, where they bill you every month for the services you use. We don’t recommend plans because they are more expensive and if you don’t have much money it is easy to get into debt with the phone company. If you go over your allotted minutes you will be charged overage fees for each additional minute (AT&T charges 15¢, Sprint charges 45¢, T-Mobile charges 25¢). You may also be charged extra if you use your phone outside of their coverage area (called roaming) or make calls to directory assistance. If you cannot afford to pay your bills they will send your bill to a collections agency.

Prepaid phones, also called ‘pay-as-you-go phones’ don’t require a long-term contract, monthly bills, or a credit check. SafeLink Wireless (from Tracfone), Assurance Wireless (from Virgin Mobile) and YourTel Wireless all offer a free phone, up to 250 free minutes every month, plus free voice mail, caller ID and call waiting. In the first few days of each month, your monthly allotment of free minutes will be added to your phone. If you use all your free minutes before the end of the month you will need to buy additional minutes, which can be purchased online, by phone and at retail stores on top-up cards. The main difference between these three programs is the cost of additional minutes: Extra minute packs through SafeLink add up to about 10¢ per minute, YourTel extra minute packs add up to about 5¢ per minute, while Assurance extra minute packs add up to about 2¢ per minute. Assurance extra minutes are available as either $5 for 250 extra minutes or $20 for 750 minutes and 1000 texts—only one extra minute pack may be added each month. Because Assurance wireless is pay-as-you-go and has the lowest rates for additional minutes this is the program we recommend.

It is important to note that to apply for a Lifeline phone you must provide a unique physical mailing address where no one else is receiving telephone assistance; they will not send the phone to an address that has already received one, (even if its from a different company) and won't send a phone to P.O. boxes or commercial addresses. So, you will not be eligible if you live in a shelter or other group housing situation where each resident doesn't have their own unique address, or if you live in a car or on the street.

To be eligible for either Lifeline program you must either receive DSHS benefits or your income must be below 135% of federal poverty level. The eligible benefits are Food Stamps, Medical Assistance, Supplemental Security Income, Disability Lifeline (or GAU), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, State Family Assistance, DSHS Chore Services, Refugee Assistance or Community Options Program Entry System. All these programs require a Social Security number to apply. To qualify based on program participation you must provide your DSHS client ID number, which can be found in the top right corner of any letter addressed to you from DSHS, from your case worker or by calling the statewide Customer Service Center at 1-877-501-2233. To apply based on income your income must be below 1,225 dollars a month for a single person, 1,655 dollars a month for a family of 2, 2,085 dollars a month for a family of 3, 2,514 dollars a month for a family of 4, or 2,944 dollars a month for a family of 5, add 430 dollars a month for each additional family member. To qualify based on income, you will need to mail them documentation of your income: such as Federal or state tax return, current income statement or W2 from an employer, 3 consecutive months of current pay stubs, Social Security statement of benefits, Retirement or Pension benefits statement, Unemployment or Workers Comp statement of benefits, or other legal document that shows income.

Based on CVM’s analysis, Assurance Wireless is still the best deal overall for Lifeline cell phones, right now. To apply for Assurance call 1-800-395-2108 or print and mail their application from their website assurancewireless.com. But, we recommend that you still keep your CVM number, so you have a stable number where you can always be reached, even if you run out of minutes and can’t afford to buy more, or you loose or break your phone, and so you continue to receive our broadcast messages about community resources like this. Thanks for using Community Voice Mail.

Lifeline Prepaid Cellphone Programs

Hi. If you or someone you know would like to get a low-cost pay-as-you-go cell phone, I want to let you know about the two Lifeline prepaid cellphone programs currently available, Assurance Wireless and Safelink Wireless. SafeLink (from Tracfone) and Assurance (from Virgin Mobile) both offer a free phone, up to 250 free minutes every month plus free voice mail, caller ID and call waiting. SafeLink also offers two other options: 125 minutes that carryover to the next month or 68 international minutes (that also carryover monthly). These programs do not require a contract, monthly bills, or a credit check.

In the first few days of each month, your monthly allotment of free minutes will be added to your phone. If you use all your free minutes before the end of the month you will need to buy additional minutes, which can be purchased online, by phone and at retail stores on top-up cards. SafeLink charges 20¢ for each additional minute, while Assurance offers either 250 extra minutes for $5 or 750 extra minutes and 1000 text messages for $20. Prepaid mobile minutes are taxed at a rate of 11%. Here is a comparison chart of Lifeline cellphone programs.

Note that to apply for a Lifeline phone you must provide a unique physical mailing address; they will not send the phone to an address that has already received one, and won't send to P.O. boxes or commercial addresses. So, you will not be eligible if you live in a shelter or other group housing situation where each resident doesn't have their own unique address, or if you live in a car or on the street.

To be eligible for either Lifeline program you must either receive DSHS benefits or your income must be below 135% of poverty level. The eligible benefits are:

• Food Stamps (SNAP)
• Medical Assistance
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Disability Lifeline (General Assistance)
• Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8)
• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
• State Family Assistance (SFA)
• DSHS Chore Services
• Refugee Assistance
• Community Options Program Entry System (COPES)

SafeLink requires a DSHS client ID and last 4 digits of social security number to qualify based on program participation, Assurance only requires that you report which programs you participate in. To apply based on income your gross monthly income must be below these guidelines:

1 person household: $ 1,218
2 person household: $ 1,639
3 person household: $ 2,060
4 person household: $ 2,481
5 person household: $ 2,901
6 person household: $ 3,322
7 person household: $ 3,743
8 person household: $ 4,164
Each additional person: + 421

To qualify on income, you will need to mail them documentation of your income: such as Federal or state tax return, Current income statement or W2 from an employer, 3 consecutive months of current pay stubs, Social Security statement of benefits, Retirement or Pension benefits statement, Unemployment or Workers Comp statement of benefits, or other legal document that shows income.

To apply for Assurance Wireless call 1-800-395-2108 or print and mail their application from their website assurancewireless.com.

To apply for SafeLink fill out their application online at safelinkwireless.com or call 1-800-977-3768.

For more information, here is a brochure on Lifeline cell phone programs (it should be printed double-sided on legal-sized paper and folded four times).


Based on CVM’s analysis, Assurance Wireless is the best deal overall for Lifeline cell phones right now. But, we recommend that you still keep your Community Voice Mail number, so you have a stable number where you can always be reached, even if you run out of minutes and can’t afford to buy more, or you loose or break your phone, and so you continue to receive our broadcast messages about community resources like this.

Lifeline Awareness Week

Hi. The following is an important message from Seattle CVM and the FCC about Lifeline, a federal program that provides discounted phone service for low-income people who qualify. This message provides basic information about Lifeline, and gives you one option for finding out more information about the program. As the message says, in the near future we'll send another message with detailed information about the Lifeline program in our state. Thanks!

Hello. My name is Joel Gurin, and I'm the Consumer and Governmental Affairs Bureau Chief for the Federal Communications Commission, or FCC. I have an important message for you from the FCC and Community Voice Mail about National Lifeline Awareness Week, which is this week, September 13th-19th.
Millions of people in the United States do not have basic telephone service. This means that they cannot easily communicate with family, friends, employers, schools, and emergency services. There is a program to help low-income consumers pay monthly phone bills, but only about a third of eligible consumers are enrolled. The "Lifeline" program provides a discount on monthly phone bills. The amount of the monthly Lifeline discount depends on where you live. A companion program, "Link-Up," helps with the cost of activating new telephone service. Both landline and wireless companies participate in the Lifeline and Link-Up programs.
If you receive assistance through certain federal programs (for example, Medicaid or Food Stamps) you qualify for Lifeline and Link-Up. You may also qualify based solely on your income.
In most states, you apply for Lifeline and Link-Up directly through a local phone company. In some states, however, you apply through a government office. To find out whether you qualify and how to apply, ask your caseworker or call the Federal Communications Commission at 1-888-CALL-FCC, or 1-888-225-5322. That's 1-888-225-5322This is a toll-free call. When you call, press the "0" key after you select English or Spanish to be connected to an operator.
Your local Community Voice Mail program manager may also send additional information in the near future about specific Lifeline and Link-up options in your area.
Please share this information with your friends and family. No one should be unable to dial for help in an emergency. Thanks for listening!