Assurance Wireless

If you want the functionality of mobile phones but can’t afford paying for phone service plans, Assurance Wireless is here to help you.

Assurance Wireless, owned by Virgin Mobile USA which is a subsidiary of Sprint Nextel Corporation, provides prepaid wireless phone service to low-income consumers. This is Virgin Mobile’s Lifeline Assistance program under Universal Service Fund program of the US Federal Communications Commission. This program is intended to help people with very limited income afford phone services with the aid of federal assistance.  It is limited to a single phone line per household. With Sprint’s nationwide coverage, this program has reached over 278 million households, although it is not offered in all areas.

What Does Assurance Wireless Offer?

The program provides free wireless mobile phone with 250 free nationwide calling minutes every month without long-term contracts, bills, activation and recurring fees as well as surcharges. Call waiting, caller ID and voicemail account are also included, with free access to 911 as well as to their customer care hotline. Although text messaging is not included, you have an option to add more minutes plus text messaging service by means of forestallment using Virgin Mobile’s Top-Up card, debit card, credit card or PayPal. Adding $5 to your monthly bill entitles you to enjoy 500 voice minutes per month, while an extra $50 entitles you to 750 minutes and 1,000 text messages. You can also add money into your account for additional services and access other offerings from Virgin Mobile.

Qualifying for Assurance Wireless Lifeline Program

Qualifications differ from state to state but some use federal guidelines. Most likely, you will qualify if your total income meets poverty guidelines set by the local government in your area, and if you participate in government programs like Social Security Income, food stamps, free lunch programs, Medicaid and many more. Proof of participation to any of these government programs may be required. On the other hand, you need to furnish copies of some documents if you’re applying on the basis of income eligibility such as Pension/Retirement benefits statement and recent pay stubs for the last 3 consecutive months. You may call their customer care representative at 1-888-898-4888 for more details.

What are the Restrictions of Assurance Wireless Prepaid Phone Services?

The program is only offered to eligible individuals and limited to one account per household. It is non-transferable, thus, the phone service should be named after the qualified individual. Moreover, the company will verify your qualification annually and if they find out that your situation has already changed making you unqualified for the Lifeline service, they will terminate your service. Once you’ve figured out that you no longer qualify for their service, give them a call and they will be glad to help you switch into Virgin Mobile and help you find the service plan that suits you best.

Other Considerations

Upon approval of your Assurance Wireless application, you will need to activate your phone and you will immediately receive your free calling minutes. If you don’t receive your free voice minutes, call their customer care hotline number. But what if you lose your phone?  Give them a call to suspend the service so that nobody can use the outstanding balance and they will help you find a replacement phone.

With Assurance Wireless lifeline program, you will get the functionality of a mobile phone even if you’re on a constrained income.