Ever wonder what the “universal service fee” on your phone bill is for? The federal government uses some of that money to provide the Lifeline service to the poor. The program has been providing a phone line to the poor since the 1980’s, but now is expanding Lifeline to include cell phone service.
Cell Phones Provide Lifeline for needy
Under this plan, people living below the poverty line can get 64 minutes of monthly talk time for up to a year. Obviously these phones will only be practical for emergencies and perhaps job searches, since 64 minutes per month won’t go far, but for those needing to be able to contact 911, or have messages left for job searches, this is a great idea. Of course the recipients can buy additional air time, but the basic time is free with no contract or bill.
The federal income rules are stringent, and the service is not available in all states yet. The states where the service is offered are: Alabama, Connecticut, DC, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.
Is this service really necessary? Of course there will be those people who take advantage of the program, but by and large, I think this program is important. Whenever there is a program to help people, there will always be those that take advantage or cheat the system. It’s a given! Does that mean we should stop the program?
Trac-Fone, one of the providers of the Lifeline service says that in Maryland alone there are 300,000 qualifying for the program. What does that say about the number of people living below the poverty level in the US? It boggles my mind! Since the program includes both home phones and cell phones, a greater number of people can be helped. Imagine the peace of mind an elderly person will have knowing they can call for help in an emergency. It will allow more elderly people to remain in their own homes and independent for longer.
I give this program a thumbs up! What do you think? Yay or nay?
