How to Get an Obama Phone

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 2, 2022 References

The federal government offers a monthly discount on landline and cellphone service to select Americans in low-income households. The Lifeline Program, popularly called “Obama Phones,” can help lower or eliminate your monthly phone bills. If you are having trouble making sure phone service fits into your monthly budget, you can look into this federal welfare program to see if it can help you. There are several different ways to be eligible for an Obama Phone, but once you know you qualify, you can apply for your discount with a participating telephone company.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Checking Your Eligibility

1
See if your income is low enough. You may be eligible for the Lifeline Program if your household income is at or below 135 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. The guidelines are based on how many people live in your household. You can check your income through the program’s website.
- The federal poverty guidelines are updated annually, usually at the end of January. Be sure to check every year to make sure you still qualify.
- Eligibility numbers are different from the rest of the country in Alaska and Hawaii. If you live in one of those states, make sure you check those separate columns in the Guidelines Chart.
2
Check if you are part of another social welfare program. If you, or someone else in your household, participates in a federal or state assistance program you may be eligible for Lifeline. Any of these programs apply, and you can be on more than one.
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA) or Section 8
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), formerly known as Food Stamps
- Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Medicaid
- National School Lunch Program's (NSLP) free lunch program
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- You may also be eligible if you reside on any federally recognized Indian reservation, Pueblo, or colony, and participate in federal programs through that. This includes Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Head Start (only in households that meeting the income qualifying standard), Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF), or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.
- Individual states also have similar qualifying programs. Check with your state or program to see if you qualify by participating.
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3
Check if someone else in your household is already receiving an Obama Phone. Only one Lifeline Program discount, that is one telephone line either wireless or landline, is allowed per household. The Lifeline Program provides a simple questionnaire to determine who qualifies under your household. If someone in your household already has an Obama Phone, you will need to discuss which one of you will get or keep the benefit.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Getting Your Phone

1
Select your company. The Lifeline Program has a list of companies that participate, organized by state. Select your state to see the companies and plans available. Take a look at several companies and plans so you can select the plan that best suits your needs.^{[1]
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- Your phone should come with voice mail, call waiting, caller ID, and in most cases at least 250 minutes per month. All companies will offer the ability to send and receive text messages, though how many depends on the plan you select.^{[2]
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2
Fill out an application. Once you have chosen your company and plan, contact the company directly and ask for an application. You will need to include your name, address, date of birth, and last 4 digits of either your Social Security number or Tribal Identification number.^{[3]
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- You will also need to show proof that you are eligible for the program. If you are eligible based on being in an assistance program, you will need to provide a copy of your benefit card or statement. If you are eligible based on income, you need to provide documentation, which can include:
  - Current income statement from an employer
  - Prior year’s state, federal, or Tribal tax return
  - A Social Security statement of benefits
  - A Veterans Administration statement of benefits
  - A retirement or pension statement of benefits
  - An Unemployment or Workers’ Compensation statement of benefits
  - A federal or Tribal notice letter of participation in General Assistance
  - A divorce decree
  - A child support award
  - Other official document containing income information
- Obama Phone programs are done directly through phone companies, and not the federal government, so there is no government contact for getting a phone.
3
Verify your identity. In most cases, providing your eligibility information will be enough for the phone company to prove your identity and get your discount. If not, though, the company will contact you and ask for additional documentation verifying your identity. If you cannot provide this documentation to prove who you are, you will be denied. Documents the phone company may ask for include:^{[4]
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- Driver's license (unexpired)
- Birth certificate
- W-2
- Prior year's state, federal, or Tribal tax return
- Social Security card
- Certificate of Naturalization
- Certificate of U.S. Citizenship
- Permanent resident card (unexpired)
- Permanent resident alien card (unexpired)
- U.S. government, military, state, or Tribal issued ID (unexpired)
- Passport (unexpired)
- Military discharge documentation
- Weapons permit (unexpired)
- Government assistance program document (that includes proof of identity)
- Statement of benefits from a qualifying program (that includes proof of identity)
- Unemployment or Worker's compensation statement of benefits
4
Receive your discount. Once your application is approved, your company will sign you up for the program. If they are sending you a cellphone, your benefits begin once you receive the phone. If you are applying these benefits to an existing phone line, ask the company when exactly the discount will begin.^{[5]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Managing Your Service

1
Keep using your phone. Once you get your phone, you need to use it to stay in the program. If you do not use your cellphone at least once every 60 days, you will receive a notice from the company. That notice will give you 30 days to start using your phone, or else your discount will end. Remember the point of the program is to help people who need phones to use.
2
Change your company. If you decide you would rather have a different plan, you can change the company giving you the Obama Phone discount. Contact the new company and ask for a transfer. You may transfer no more than once every 60 days (about 2 months). This isn’t something you should do often, and if you do you are stuck with your company for at least that amount of time.^{[6]
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- When you contact the company, they will need certain information from you. This includes your name, address, phone number, date of birth, and the last 4 digits of your Social Security number. You will also need to give verbal or written consent that you know you will be losing your benefits with the previous company, and that the company has explained that you may not have more than one benefit per household.
3
Recertify annually. Each year, you will receive a notice to recertify your eligibility. This notice will include instructions and give a deadline for recertifying. This will usually involve proving that you still have a low income or are on a government assistance program. If you fail to recertify, you will lose the discount, which means your phone bill may increase, or you will not receive your free minutes.^{[7]
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4
Let the phone company know if you are no longer eligible. If you no longer receive support from a government assistance program, or your income has increased above the limit, you may lose your discount. When your eligibility changes, you need to let your phone company know within 30 days so they can make the proper adjustments, including ending the discount.
- This also applies to someone else in your household getting an Obama Phone. If that happens, your original plan needs to be stopped, as you are only allowed one discount per household.

Community Q&A

Question

Can I get a phone if I am homeless and have Medicaid?

Community Answer

Yes. A home is not required; an address, however, is, so find a shelter or organization that provides a mailing address for homeless people and get that set up. Then go through the steps to choose a provider and apply for the phone. If you need help, ask a social worker or Case Manager at a homeless organization to help you get through the process or fill out the paperwork for you. Good luck!
Question

My obama phone works when it wants to work, but I usually have to send a pic to get a text to send. What can I do?

Community Answer

Take out the battery, wait 5 minutes. Try again. If not working, it may be a phone issue, such as a bad phone. Many companies will give you a free smartphone if you sign up with them. Also, try downloading a virus protection like Avast.
Question

How do I get another Obama phone if I lost it?

Community Answer

The rules differ from state to state. In CA, you can get a new phone and a new service provider every 3 months.

Warnings

As of 2015, 49 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico are all participants in the program. Only Montana does not participate, meaning that if you live in Montana, you will not be able to get an Obama Phone.

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If you receive a cellphone as part of the program, remember that it won’t be the latest model. You will probably get an older, refurbished phone. If you need the most up-to-date technology in your phone, this is not going to be a useful program for you.

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