Many critics say government assistance and welfare programs like Lifeline phone are being abused through fraudulent applications, misrepresentation of income, and general misuse.
In reality, fewer than half the American households that qualify for the Lifeline Assistance program currently participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food stamp program.
Here are the numbers, from CBS News:
SNAP participation averaged 44,344,259 persons in March 2016. This is the lowest SNAP national participation level since February 2011. Still, the food support that SNAP provides is important for many Americans across the country, particularly as they struggle against problems of unemployment and low wages.
Despite the startling number of Americans on food stamps, we estimate that the number of free government cell phones is currently below 12,000,000.
This is important to know because one of the most common ways to qualify for Lifeline Assistance is participation in SNAP. Yet fewer than 12 million of the 44 million households that are automatically eligible have taken advantage of the free government cell phone program.
Please help us spread the word about the free government cell phone program. If you know someone who qualifies, but has not yet enrolled, tell them about USAFreeCellPhone.com
We’re here to help.