This hardly news, so I put it here. But it is news for menu.
Get a Free Smartphone With Your Food Stamps.

True, if you are on a social program for the poor in the USA, you can get a free Smartphone from DOZENS of carriers who are now in the free phone program in the USA. Sometimes called 'Obama Phones'.

Or, if a adult family  member in your household  no longer pays up,  he/she can qualify for a free phone after leaving home.
So if they don't work, kick them out so they can get a free phone.   
Alright, now the serious side. 
Links:
http://www.obamaphone.com/obamaphone-providers

http://www.freegovernmentcellphones.net/free-cell-phone-providers

http://www.fasts.org/by-state/

http://freegovernmentcellphoneguide.com/cell-phone-providers-list/

https://www.californialifeline.com/en/provider_search

http://www.etoengineering.com/freecellphones.htm

Or, just search for Free gov phones

I have one with METRO pcs.
It allows me to watch Netflix without going over the data limit.
Because watching movies is so important to us poor folk. 

I was the beneficiary of food banks in the past, but no longer need their services and have a bit of extra, when I go shopping I will sometimes buy two of some of my non-perishable items, and put them in the donation bin at the front of the grocery store. On one such occasion, A rather distasteful woman accosted me for putting spaghetti sauce in said donation bin. She said, and I quote, "Poor people don't deserve to eat things that taste good".

I mention this because the way you've presented this information is very much the same. I get a strong impression that you fall into the camp of "Poor people don't deserve nice things"; In this case, Smartphones. Realistically, smartphones are quite affordable, but having them subsidized by government social programs makes a lot of sense since choosing a good contract can be very difficult, with a lot of hidden costs, interest, etc. that can be associated with them and which can drive a lot of people who can't afford them into unexpected debt. This doesn't mean merely the unemployed, but those who operate on a shoestring budget through a minimum wage job that pays a quarter but involves 10 times the actual work of more 'cushy' jobs, and, of course, as you are surely aware, those operating on a pension.



Quote from: BC_Programmer on May 20, 2016, 10:15:13 PM

... the way you've presented this information is very much the same. I get a strong impression that you fall into the camp of "Poor people don't deserve nice things"; In this case, Smartphones. Realistically, smartphones are quite affordable, but having them subsidized by government social programs makes a lot of sense since choosing a good contract can be very difficult, with a lot of hidden costs, interest, etc. that can be associated with them and which can drive a lot of people who can't afford them into unexpected debt. This doesn't mean merely the unemployed, but those who operate on a shoestring budget through a minimum wage job that pays a quarter but involves 10 times the actual work of more 'cushy' jobs, and, of course, as you are surely aware, those operating on a pension.

So yes , a phone is now needed even just to be poor.