Welcome to the Alabama Free Government Smartphones and Cell Phones page! Alabama is not the smallest state of the U.S.A. by area, neither is it smallest by population number. Still, it has one of the lowest median household income values and an unemployment rate of 5.8% (2015), higher than a national one. Sure, people working for large employers like Redstone Arsenal, University of Alabama, or Maxwell Air Force Base rarely seek assistance from the authorities. However, hundreds of thousands of Alabamans qualify for one because of their financial standing. If you live in Birmingham or Montgomery or any other place in the Cotton state, you might be eligible for a free phone from the government.
Lifeline Free Government Cell Phones Program in Alabama
Several carriers provide free government smartphones and free government cell phones in Alabama to low-income residents. They are mainly similar regarding the application process and qualification criteria. Choosing between them is mostly personal preference since most provide the same deals under Lifeline assistance.
AT&T, Cellular South/C Spire Wireless, Global Connection of America, North American Local, Pine Belt Cellular, SouthernLINC Wireless, T-Wire Corporation
Who is eligible for free government smartphones and free government cell phones in Alabama?
You are probably eligible for a free phone from the government if you are a participant of any of the following government-paid programs:
- Medicaid
- Food Stamps/ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Veterans Pension and Survivor’s Benefit
- Section 8/ Federal Public Housing Assistance
- Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance (BIA)
- Tribal Head Start (only those households meeting its income qualifying standard)
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).
You can also qualify based on the household income rule: your household income has to be lower or at the level of 135% of Federal Poverty Guidelines for Alabama. For 2022 this number is shown in the table below.
| Household size (number of people) | Eligible annual income per household |
|---|---|
| 1 | $17,388 |
| 2 | $23,517 |
| 3 | $29,646 |
| 4 | $35,775 |
| 5 | $41,904 |
| 6 | $48,033 |
| 7 | $54,162 |
| 8 | $60,291 |
| For each additional person, add | $6,129 |
Click here to learn how to enroll in Alabama free government smartphones, free government cell phones, and the Lifeline program.