Think of Arizona and you think of natural wonders like the Grand Canyon and the Petrified Forest and those giant Saguaro cactus (or is it cacti?). Add in the sunshine and warm weather and the last thing you’d think of is poverty. But much to our surprise, the Census Bureau rates Arizona as the state with the second highest poverty level.
Did you know? More than 20% of Arizona residents live below the official poverty level. Sadly, that’s a higher percentage than any state other than Mississippi.
Let’s get specific: According to the U.S. Census Bureau almost 1,400,000 Arizonans live in households that earn less than the federal poverty level. That’s equal to 21.2% of the population. Compare that to the national figure of just 14.3% and you can see that poverty is a severe problem for the Grand Canyon State.
But it gets even worse. Among those from 18 to 64, the poverty rate is 18.4%. Among the elderly – 65 and older – 13.8% live in poverty.
Please allow us to inject a note of hope into this grim discussion: The LifeLine program is available in Arizona and can be a huge help in allowing you to get in touch with potential employers.
Free Cell Phone Providers in Arizona:
Here’s a list of all the Lifeline Assistance free government cell phones in Arizona. They all offer different plans with different numbers of minutes, different refill options, and serve different geographic areas. So click through them all and find the plan that’s best for you.
- Access Wireless
- Assurance Wireless
- Blue Jay Wireless
- Budget Mobile
- EnTouch Wireless
- Life Wireless
- Q Link Wireless
- Safelink Wireless
- StandUp Wireless
- Tag Mobile
- Terracom
Lifeline Discount Companies in Arizona
If you qualify for Lifeline Assistance, but you find that none of the companies offer free government cell phones where you live, you have another option. The companies below, while not offering free cell phone plans, do offer substantial Lifeline discounts off their regular mobile phone plans in Arizona:
- Total Call Mobile
Lifeline Assistance Eligibility in Arizona:
You are eligible for the government phone in Arizona if you receive benefits from any of these programs:
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (Food Stamps or SNAP)
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (Section 8)
- Veterans Pension and Survivor’s Benefit.
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance (BIA)
- Tribally Administered Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF)
- Tribal Head Start (only those households meeting its income qualifying standard)
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
Plus, you may be eligible under these state programs, until the new federal laws make them ineligible win 2017:
- State Child Health Insurance Plan/KIDCARE
- Medicaid/AHCCCS
You may also qualify if your Total Household Income is at or under 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.