On
Sunday, May 13, moms across the country will be getting a lot of
attention from their children, from gifts to out of town visits and
phone calls. For those who need help to be in touch with loved ones, there is a smart,
free way to do so. Assurance Wireless is a program that offers a free wireless phone and 250 minutes of free wireless voice service each month for national, local
and long-distance calling to eligible residents of the 32 states where Assurance is available.
In addition to
keeping families connected, Assurance Wireless helps eligible residents
stay connected to their children’s schools, relatives, health care
providers,
daycare centers, care-givers and neighbors.
Who’s Eligible?
Assurance Wireless is a Lifeline
Assistance program supported by the low-income
program of the federal Universal Service Fund which is designed to
insure that quality telecommunications services are available to
low-income consumers at
affordable rates. Eligibility for Assurance Wireless varies by state
and may include those who participate in Medicaid, Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP or food stamps), Supplemental
Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
(TANF), Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA or Section 8), Low
Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) or the National School
Lunch Program’s Free Lunch Program. Customers may also qualify based on
low household income on a state-by-state basis,
as well.
Assurance
Wireless is currently available in Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut,
Delaware, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas,
Kentucky, Louisiana,
Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West
Virginia and Wisconsin. This list of states continues
to expand and can be found on the Assurance website.
In addition to a voice mail account[1]
and call waiting, Assurance Wireless provides caller ID and access to
911 in case of emergency. Beyond the 250 free voice minutes each month,
customers can choose from other low-cost options to pay for additional
minutes, texting, international calling and
more at competitive rates.
Eligible residents can apply for Assurance Wireless by calling (toll-free) 800-395-2171, or by visiting
www.assurancewireless.com.
People who don’t
qualify for Assurance Wireless but who are also struggling and searching
for value can take advantage of payLo by Virgin Mobile. payLo was
especially designed with value-conscious
wireless consumers in mind, offering plans for as little as $20/month
for 400 minutes or access to 90 days of service for $20 at a rate of
less than $7 per month. payLo is available at more than 40,000 retail
stores, including Best Buy, RadioShack and Target.
Prospective low-income customers who find they are not eligible for
Assurance Wireless may learn more about Virgin Mobile’s no-contract
payLo Plan options by visiting
http://www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phone-plans/payloplans.jsp#.
About Assurance Wireless
Assurance Wireless, brought to you by Virgin Mobile USA, one of
Sprint’s prepaid brands, is supported by the Lifeline Assistance
program, part of the Low Income Program of the federal Universal Service
Fund (USF), which is administered by the Universal Service
Administrative Company (USAC). Assurance Wireless provides
service on the Nationwide Sprint Network, which reaches more than 280
million people.
[1]Airtime charges
apply when accessing voice mail via an Assurance Wireless phone once free minutes have been depleted.
No comments:
Post a Comment