(NAPSI)—Consumers concerned about making ends meet are getting an answer to their call for help. Some 30 million households may qualify for a program that provides cell phone service for eligible low-income customers. Eligible participants choosing Assurance Wireless receive a free cell phone and 250 free minutes of wireless voice service each month. It is a way to stay in touch with prospective and current employers, school services, doctors and family in times of emergencies.

Assurance Wireless serves eligible customers in 31 states and hopes to expand. It 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) and designed to ensure that quality telecommunications services are available to low-income customers at reasonable and affordable rates.

“Cost of Livin’”

“Award-winning country music star Ronnie Dunn’s recent single, “Cost of Livin’,” speaks to the difficulty of finding a job during the recession and high unemployment currently facing the American workforce. The song begins by depicting a hardworking veteran, husband and father filling out a job application, and one key aspect of the job search is being able to call potential employers and receive return calls.

Dunn shares: “I remember the fear and insecurity of my father telling me he had lost his job. I was 9 years old. My parents borrowed money from my grandmother to make a move so my father could get a job. You get to a point where so many things are out of control, and once you become unemployed, once you are bottomed out, you need to have phone access or a regular phone number for a potential employer to call you back.”

A New Kind of Lifeline

“Assurance Wireless allowed me to contact potential employers and has also been helpful in keeping me connected with specialists to coordinate critically needed care for my children,” stated Evan M., from Maryland.

Program Features

Assurance Wireless operates on the Nationwide Sprint Network and comes with a voice mail account, call waiting, caller ID, and provides access to 911 for emergency services.

Eligibility

Eligibility varies by state. To verify eligibility, you can call (800) 395-2171 or visit www.assurancewireless.com.

People who don’t qualify for Assurance Wireless can utilize payLo by Virgin Mobile. payLo offers plans for as little as $20/month for 400 minutes or access to 90 days of service for $20 at a rate of $0.20/minute. payLo is available at retail stores, including Best Buy, RadioShack and Target.

Low-income customers who are not eligible for Assurance Wireless may learn more about Virgin Mobile’s no-contract payLo plan options by visiting www.virginmobileusa.com/cell-phone-plans/paylo-plans.jsp.

 

On the Net:North American Precis Syndicate(NAPSI)