Best Cell Phone Plans for Seldom Calling Seniors

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For seniors who don't use their cell phone very often but still want one for emergencies or occasional calls, there are a number of low-cost plans available depending on your specific needs. Here's where to find some of the cheapest deals.

Prepaid Plans
The best way infrequent cell phone users can save money is with a prepaid cell phone - also known pay-as-you-go phones. With a prepaid phone there's no contract, no fixed monthly bills, no credit checks and no hidden costs that come with traditional cell phone plans. With this type of service, you buy a special prepaid phone (they can cost anywhere from $10 to $100), then pre-purchase a certain amount of minutes (for talk or text) that must be used within a specified period of time.

While there are many prepaid phones on the market today, the cheapest deal for occasional users belongs to T-Mobile (800-866-2453), who has a 30-minute plan for $10, and minutes don't expire for 90 days. That averages out to $3.33 per month. If, however, you need more talk time, check out their "Gold Rewards" annual plan where $100 gets you 1,000 minutes that are good for a full year. And with all T-Mobile pay-as-you-go plans, if you replenish your account before your minutes expire, your unused minutes will roll over. TracFone (800-867-7183) also offers some nice value plans that start at $10 for 50 minutes per month.

Senior-Friendly Phones
If you don't mind spending a little more, Consumer Cellular and Jitterbug are two other popular options for seniors because they offer inexpensive low-use plans and senior-friendly phones.

Consumer Cellular (888-345-5509) sells two "Doro" simplified cell phones that cost either $25 or $30. And they offer a $10 per month "casual" calling plan, plus 25 cents per minute, and no long-term contract. They even give a 5 percent monthly service discount to AARP members.

And Jitterbug (800-918-8543), which makes the best senior-friendly cell phone on the market, sells their Jitterbug J phone for $99, with calling plans that start at $15 per month for 50 minutes, and no contract. Both services do, however, charge a one-time activation fee of $35.

Free Cell Phones
If you're living on a limited income, you may even be able to get a free cell phone and free airtime each month through a program called SafeLink Wireless, which was created by TracFone.

Currently available in 29 states, SafeLink expects to pick up another 11 states in 2011. To qualify, you'll need to show that you're receiving certain types of government benefits, such as Medicaid, Food Stamps, SSI, or have a household income at or below 135 percent of the poverty line – that's $14,621 for an individual and $19,670 for a family of two. To learn more or apply, call 800-723-3546 or visit safelink.com.

If, however, you don't qualify or if your state doesn't yet have a SafeLink program, another option to check into is the 911 Cell Phone Bank. This is a program that provides free, emergency-only cell phones to seniors and victims of abuse. To see if there's an emergency cell phone program near you, contact your local law enforcement agency or see 911cellphonebank.org.