How Do I Transfer My Government Phone To Another Phone

Are you wondering whether you can transfer your government phone to another phone? Once you are given a free government phone either via Lifeline, ACP or Lifeline +ACP combo program, trust that you can use it for ages if you maintain it well. Transferring your government phone to another phone, that mean you want to switch your government phone service providers to another service providers.

Whether you are enjoying Assurance Lifeline service or Safelink Lifeline service, be certain that you can switch to a different service provider with better services and be good to go. Also, you can bring your phone to a carrier that offers Lifeline program and start enjoying the free service on your device. To learn more about how you can transfer your free government phone service to another carrier, read the article below.

Steps To Transfer Your Free Government Phone Service To Another Carrier

If you want to transfer your free government phone service such as Lifeline to another service provider, here are the steps that you should follow:

1. First and foremost, you need to contact your current government free phone service provider and let them know that you intend to transfer your service to another service provider. Upon hearing this, the agent on the other end will ask you to fill a form so that you can prove that you are eligible for the Lifeline program. If you enjoyed your current government free phone Lifeline service for 60 days or thereabout, trust that you will be at liberty to switch or transfer your Lifeline service.
2. You might also be prompted to fill a ‘Request for Change’ form by your current government free phone carrier in order to indicate that you truly intend to switch your Lifeline service. During this transfer process, you will still be enjoying your current government free phone service provider Lifeline service. This will go on until you complete the entire transfer process.
3. Reach out to the carrier that you want to transfer your government free phone Lifeline service to and then inform the customer representative that you want to switch to their service. Here, this carrier’s agent might ask you several questions in order to prove that you are truly the primary beneficiary of the Lifeline program as well as your eligibility status. To put this into perspective, you need to submit your name in full, place of residence, date of birth, the last 4 digits of your Social Security Number, current phone number, and so on.
4. You will also be required to provide either oral or written consent showing that your service transfer request has been granted. In this consent, you must acknowledge that you will no longer enjoy your current government phone carrier’s Lifeline service once the transfer process comes to an end. Additionally, your consent document should show that you are certain that you will enjoy Lifeline benefits from one carrier at a time.
5. To prove that you are still eligible for the Lifeline program, you will be asked to submit a document that shows that your income stands at or is below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Better still, you can go ahead and submit a document that shows that you are beneficiary of a government assistance program such as Medicaid, SSI, Tribal Head Start, SNAP or Section 8.
6. You will also be asked to attach a document that shows that you are the only person within your household that enjoys the benefits that come with the Lifeline program. After submitting all these documents and details, your next carrier will reach out to the previous phone carrier and alert them that you intend to switch your Lifeline service.
7. Visit the National Lifeline Accountability Database and click on the ‘Transfer NLAD Benefit’ button. You will be requested to enter your personal detail so that you can prove your identity. After that, tap on the ‘Transfer Benefit’ button that you will see on your screen and then click on the ‘Yes’ button. By doing so, you will have okayed the government phone transfer process.
8. Supposing the government free phone transfer process gets completed, trust that you will no longer be enrolled in your previous Lifeline service provider. Here, you will be labeled as a de-enrolled person, thanks to the Lifeline benefit transfer process. Once this happens, you will be enrolled to your next carrier’s Lifeline service provider.
9. Go ahead and inform the previous service provider that your government free phone Lifeline transfer process has seen the light of day so that your account can be closed. This might lead to service interruption due to the Lifeline phone transfer process. However, you should not panic as you will start enjoying the Lifeline benefits of your new carrier.

5 Important Things To Consider Before Transfer Your Free Government Phone Service To Another Carrier

By now, you already know that it is possible for you to transfer your free government phone service from one service provider to another. However, there are certain considerations that you ought to make before you get started. Some of these considerations include:

1. To start with, ensure that you are still eligible to enjoy the Lifeline program. For you to meet this program’s eligibility requirements, you need to ensure that your current income stands at or is below 135% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or that you are a participant of a government assistance program such as Medicaid, Tribal Head Start, Section 8, SSI, Tribal TANF, SNAP, and so on.
2. Your account with the current carrier has no pending bills and has a good standing.
3. You live in one of the states where your preferred service provider offers its services.
4. No one within your household is benefiting from the Lifeline program.
5. You will have the luxury of enjoying the Lifeline benefit from one carrier at a time.

FAQ

How long does it take to transfer my free government phone service to another carrier?

Well, the government phone service transfer process can take about 3 business days for it to be complete.

Supposing you experience problems when transferring your free government phone service, what should I do?

Reach out to the new carrier’s customer service team and address this issue. The customer support team will help you solve the issue, thereby allowing you to enjoy more convenience.

Can I bring my phone to another carrier that offers free government phone services?

Yes. As long as the device is unlocked and compatible with that carrier, be certain that you can bring it to that carrier and get started on its network. When it comes to compatibility, you can visit your preferred carrier’s official website and then go to the BYOP section. Thereafter, key in your phone’s IMEI on the field that you will see on your screen. After a few minutes, the carrier’s system will determine if your phone is compatible with that service provider or not.

Will I be able to port my number?

Yes. If you are switching to another Lifeline service provider and will still remain within the same geographical area, trust that you will be able to keep your existing number. However, you must notify your current Lifeline service provider that you want to port your number to another carrier’s network. Also, you need to ensure that your account has good standing and have paid all the pending bills.

If the carrier’s customer support team gives you a clean bill of health, you can now contact your new carrier and then kick start the porting process. More importantly, ensure that you have vital details such as your full official name, date of birth, your phone number, last 4 digits of your SSN, place of residence, among other details. Supposing there are any porting fees, you can ask if they can be negotiated or waived altogether.