Hawaii, the Aloha State, known for sunny skies, beautiful beaches, gentle trade winds, and teeming crowds of tourists, is relatively unknown for its free government cell phone program.
Most people would tell you that the program doesn’t exist in 50th State, but we’re here to tell you it does. That’s a good thing, because just a few blocks inland from the glittering beaches lies some of the worst poverty in the nation.
According to Hano-Hawaii.org, “A new federal calculation that takes into account Hawaii’s high cost of living significantly boosts the state’s poverty rate — from the 18th lowest in the nation to the seventh highest.”
About 17.4% of Hawaii residents live in poverty according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The “official” poverty rate for the islands is “just” 12.5%, but almost no one now accepts that lower number. While 17.4% is lower than the national average of 15.8%, it’s doesn’t square with the image the Pacific Paradise has always sold to the rest of the world. A shocking 229,000 Hawaiians fall below Federal poverty guidelines.
Most experts believe that the “supplemental poverty measure,” the official designation of the new poverty estimate, will soon become the way that poverty is measured in every state.
If so, that means that eligibility requirements for government subsidies could be broadened, adding to the number of people to qualify for government services such as Lifeline Assistance, the free government cell phone program, which has helped so many cash-strapped Americans across the continental United States.
How to get a free cell phone in Hawaii
There are now six providers of free Lifeline cell phones in Hawaii:
American Assistance
Blue Jay Wireless
Budget Mobile
Safelink Wireless
Total Call Mobile
Tempo Communications
Lifeline Discount Companies in Hawaii
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 Hawaii:
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)
How to Qualify for a Lifeline Phone and Service in Hawaii
You are eligible for the government phone in Hawaii if you receive benefits from any of these programs:
Federal Public Housing Assistance / Section 8
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Food Stamps
Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
National School Lunch (free program only)
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
Medicaid
You may also qualify if your Total Household Income is at or under 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines