Budget Mobile is the free government cell phone provider that offers eligible customers 250 airtime minutes plus 250 text messages free of cost every month. The services are provided as a form of federal assistance (a free Budget Mobile phone and wireless service) to families and individual citizens with low income. It is an excellent opportunity for those who struggle every day trying to save every other penny, since no contract obligations will be put forward by the company, and it is effortless to apply. By participating in this Lifeline assistance program, receive real support in the form of a fully functional cell and no-cost talk plan.
Attention! The company has discontinued operations for all new and existing customers!!! Find another provider of Lifeline services.
Free cell phone, free minutes and free texts by Budget Mobile are serviced in a significant number of states. Currently, the operator works in:
| Arizona Arkansas Colorado Georgia Hawaii Idaho Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine | Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Missouri Nevada North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Pennsylvania Rhode Island | South Carolina South Dakota Texas Utah Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming. |
Besides, the company plans to enroll customers from other states, such as North Carolina, Montana, New Mexico, and others. It is expanding very fast indeed.
The basic Budget Mobile plan in most of its servicing area is straightforward. Each customer gets 250 free talk minutes and 250 complimentary text messages every month, paying $0! This plan is open for enrollment only for eligible customers who meet all the requirements of the Lifeline program (annual income, assistance program participation). Only one benefit (one Lifeline wire or wireless account) is allowed per one family (household) under the Lifeline guidelines.
There are other prepaid plans by Budget Mobile. They range from the cheapest (350 minutes, unlimited texts, 50 MB data for $5) to the most expensive (endless talks & texts with 500 MB data package for $30/month). If you need more minutes than the number is given with a free plan, you can choose to pay the fee for one of these plans and get more. This option is the one to consider if you want to get a free gov cell phone/smartphone only, and are ready to pay monthly charges for its use.
Some states (KY, NE, OK, SC) and Puerto Rico have their plans slightly different from those in a standard Budget Mobile package. To learn the specific plans here, please, consult the latest updates at www.budgetmobile.com, the official carrier’s website.
No matter the plan, a customer subscribes Budget Mobile top-up is the method for getting extra minutes/texts/data. Various types of virtual top-up cards are sold at budgetmobile.com. For example, 100 airtime minutes cost $5, and you will be charged the same amount for 1,000 additional texts.
Budget Mobile Phone Eligibility
If you are up for getting a free cell from Budget mobile with no contract, monthly bills, extra charges whatsoever, you have to meet eligibility requirements to apply. Every participating state has its list of assistance programs, participants of which have the best chances to enroll Budget Mobile with no problems at all. Typically, such programs as Low-income Home Energy Assistance Program, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Federal Housing Assistance (Section 8), Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid, National School Lunch, and SNAP are listed. Besides, an applicant can apply if the total family income is under the specified by every state limit. It will be necessary to comply with these requirements every year to continue the use of Budget Mobile phones and plans. Annual recertification is a standard procedure for all Lifeline providing companies.
The fastest way to get approved is to visit the website and get Budget Mobile application form online (there is a different form for every state, they are also provided in Spanish), fill it in and send it back along with the proof of income status/program participation to the company (Budget PrePay, Inc. 1325 Barksdale Blvd., Bossier City, LA 71111). Budget Mobile Customer Service phone number (toll-free) is 1-888-777-4007.