Other Ways to Get Free Cell Phones for Seniors If you don’t qualify for the Lifeline program, major carriers frequently run promotions that provide you with a free cell phone when you sign up ...

Julie Maestas didn’t know what she was going to do. Maestas, 48, lives at Camp Resolution in North Sacramento and has a Lifeline phone, which are typically free or low-cost from the government.

On one hand, it’s true former President Barack Obama expanded a program to bring free or low-cost cell phone service to as many as 17 million Americans in 2012, according to CNN. Still, the ...