KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The safety and convenience of cell phones make them a must for many families, but it's technology that's still not available to everyone.
Have you ever noticed a USF fee on your phone bill? Many carriers pass this fee on to the customer to help
fund a program for low income families. The way your money is being used is changing, but the people it helps don't always know that.
"The groceries keep going up. Everything keeps going up," Christopher Drum said.
Add on sky high medical bills and the disabled Shawnee couple says it's barely making ends meet on their fixed income.
"We have very little money at the end of the month based on our income," Drum said.
For years, low income families like the Drum's have gotten reduced phone bills through a program called Lifeline. As more homes cut the cord, new programs are developing to make cell phones affordable for low income households.
"It would be a great benefit if we could get a cell phone," Drum said.
Drum says a cell phone would give him peace of mind when his wife leaves to get groceries. Without wheels, their feet take them from place to place.
"She's probably more worried about me stuck here, but I'm more worried about her being out there," Drum said.
"We would just want it for having the security of a phone to get help if we needed it," Drum said.
Help is on the way. Cell phone carriers are rolling out plans that allow people with poor or no credit to get a phone
In Missouri, two wireless companies applied to offer the service and the state approved their application in late August. However, the Missouri Public Service Commission requires they get documentation that people qualify. Tracfone and Nexus asked for a re-hearing on that issue and lost in September. They can now offer service if they comply with the order and documentation requirement. Tracfone expects to have its plan ready by the end of the year. Nexus did not return our calls.
In Kansas, 9 carriers provide the cell service including Alltel Kansas LP, Cellular Network Partnership d/b/a Pioneer Cellular; Epic Touch Co.; Nex-Tech Wireless, LLC; RCC Minnesota, Inc.; Sprint Spectrum L.P. d/b/a Sprint PCS, United Wireless Communications, Inc.; USCOC of Nebraska/Kansas LLC d/b/a US Cellular; and WestLink Communications LLC.
Every company offers a different service discount. Sprint told us it offers a discount on activation and the monthly fee. There is no credit check, so customers are only allowed a $75 account balance at a time.
Drum say he would never qualify under a traditional cell plan, because of his credit. Now, he has that option.
Lifeline customers like Drum have to decide between hard wired phone or wireless, as you get only one Lifeline.
Link-Up is another federal program that lowers the cost of setting up phone service at your house or with a cell phone. Link-Up pays up to $30 of the start-up fees for qualified customers. You can also borrow up to $200 of set-up fees, interest-free for one year.
How To Qualifyhttp://www.lifeline.gov/lifeline_Consumers.html
Options By Statehttp://www.lifelinesupport.org/li/low-income/lifelinesupport/browser/Default.aspxLifeline Across Americahttp://www.lifeline.gov/
