New York - Widespread Abuse Reported In U.S. Phone Subsidies |
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New York - According to a Wall Street Journal (http://on.wsj.com/11Edk0y) review, a large number of people who received phones last years through the Lifeline program have not proven they are eligible to receive them.
On Monday, the Journal reported that the U.S. government spent $2.2 billion last year providing phones to low-income Americans, a dramatic increase from the $819 million spent in 2008.
Suspecting widespread abuse by ineligible recipients, the FCC tightened its rules last year, requiring carriers to verify eligibility of existing subscribers.
An FCC review for the Journal showed that of the top five Lifeline carriers, 41% of their more than six million subscribers either couldn’t prove their eligibility or simply failed to respond to requests for certification.
The program, begun in 1984, is available to to people who fall within federal pover ty guidelines or are on food stamps, Medicaid, or the assistance program. One Lifeline subscriber is allowed per household.
Americans pay an average of $2.50 a month per household to fund various subsidized communications programs, including Lifeline.
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Read Comments (5) — Post Yours »
1
Feb 12, 2013 at 07:32 PM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
My friends all are on this program and I don't see how they got on. They all have jobs, a car and a house. Doesn't anyone verify eligibility anymore?
2
Feb 12, 2013 at 11:00 PM LionofZion Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ My friends all are on this program and I don't see how they got on. They all have jobs, a car and a house. Doesn't anyone verify eligibility anymore? ”
Your friends are Soddomites, stealing less than a Prutah from you and from me, all the while pretending it doesn't matter because it is not a lot of money.
The joke is on them, because the real G-d cares more about his laws than about the latest Narishkeit in the Frum community and after 120, they will get what is coming to them.
3
Feb 13, 2013 at 12:17 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ My friends all are on this program and I don't see how they got on. They all have jobs, a car and a house. Doesn't anyone verify eligibility anymore? ”
Does your friend own his house and car or does the bank own it? "Owning" a home which is 80% mortgaged and a car lease doesn't make you a rich person; only a person in debt! If he/she is eligible for medicaid or food stamps, then he can get the free phone. Not a luxury, with minimal talk time and no text, internet, etc.
4
Feb 13, 2013 at 11:05 AM Anonymous Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ Does your friend own his house and car or does the bank own it? "Owning" a home which is 80% mortgaged and a car lease doesn't make you a rich person; only a person in debt! If he/she is eligible for medicaid or food stamps, then he can get the free phone. Not a luxury, with minimal talk time and no text, internet, etc. ”
First off, these phones do have text messaging. Secondly, many of the people who claim to be "eligible" for food stamps and Medicaid are no really eligible at all. They report only partial income, pretend to be single parents, or get paid in cash. So not only are they stealing a free phone service they are also stealing tens of thousands of dollars in medical and food costs.
As for the house and car, welfare was not designed for people who lease luxury cars and live in mortgaged $400k homes. It was designed for people who take the bus and live in a cheap rental. The free phone service was introduced during the Reagan years to ensure that the disabled/elderly had a lifeline to the outside world in case they were injured.
Theft is theft, and trying to justify it by saying that these people are not asset wealthy is absurd.
5
Feb 13, 2013 at 01:48 PM I_Am_Me Says:Report as Inappropriate
“ First off, these phones do have text messaging. Secondly, many of the people who claim to be "eligible" for food stamps and Medicaid are no really eligible at all. They report only partial income, pretend to be single parents, or get paid in cash. So not only are they stealing a free phone service they are also stealing tens of thousands of dollars in medical and food costs.
As for the house and car, welfare was not designed for people who lease luxury cars and live in mortgaged $400k homes. It was designed for people who take the bus and live in a cheap rental. The free phone service was introduced during the Reagan years to ensure that the disabled/elderly had a lifeline to the outside world in case they were injured.
Theft is theft, and trying to justify it by saying that these people are not asset wealthy is absurd. ”
Keep in mind, that a lot of people who are on these subsidies and get cash from working are actually minimum wage households who are lucky if they pull in $25,000 subsidies including.