You may have read that Lifeline Assistance, the free government cell phone program, is not available in Vermont. That is incorrect. Take it from us, America’s leading authority on Lifeline, the program does operate in the Green Mountain State, even though most people think it isn’t.
Perhaps the program is unknown in Vermont because state regulators refuse to cooperate with companies that have been successful in other states. Perhaps it’s because the state legislature wants to protect the state’s sterling economic reputation. Perhaps there’s another reason. We honestly don’t know. But we do know that thousands of economically-challenged Vermont residents NEED to know about this program.
Need proof? According to BurlingtonFreePress.com, “Vermont’s unemployment rate has been below four percent for the past three months and has been falling for the past four years. It’s now second lowest in the nation. But other indicators of the state’s economic well-being do not look so good.”
Vermont’s poverty rate rose from less than 8% in 2006 to 11.6%. Although it’s now falling, the Green Mountain state’s poverty rate has stubbornly remained higher than it’s been for 20 years.
Obviously, thousands of Vermonters need financial assistance. The use of food stamps, the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), has doubled since 2006. Shockingly, perhaps, 16% of the state’s residents now participate in the program. Are you ready for a shocking number? That means 100,000 Vermonters (equal to one out of six people in the state) depend on food stamps. That number has leaped up from a mere 41,000 ten years ago.
So take heart, Vermont residents. If you really need a free government cell phone to get in touch with potential employers, to stay in contact with your children and elderly parents, to reach out to medical professionals, or for any other reason, they are available. No matter what anyone else may tell you.
Free Cell Phone Providers in Vermont:
Unfortunately, there is only one Lifeline free cell phone provider in Vermont:
Q Link Wireless
You may be eligible if you receive benefits from any of the following 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)
You may also can qualify based upon your Total Household Income. See the provider’s annual income eligibility levels to see the latest numbers.
Latest News for Vermont:
$3.7 Billion in Income Could Be Generated for the Poor by Making Lifeline-Subsidized Free Cell Phones Available to All Eligible Americans – $3.7 Billion in Personal Income Lost in States – Including CA, CO, HI, MT, NE, ND, OK, SD, VT and WY – Without Access to Program for Their Poorest Citizens.