DO YOU QUALIFY FOR REDUCED PHONE RATES?
Utah Telephone Assistance Program (UTAP) is a program to assist eligible households with their monthly basic local telephone service. The program provides a monthly discount of about $13.50 to low-income customers on their primary landline only. The program is funded through state and federal funds and is now being administered by the Utah Department of Community and Culture (DCC). The discount is applied to basic local telephone service only, but does not prohibit a customer from choosing additional features. There are no resources available to help with long distance calling charges. Both new and current customers are eligible.
The Utah Public Service Commission recently approved three wireless companies to provide free, but limited, cell phone service to eligible low income customers under the federal Lifeline program. Customers can apply directly through the following companies: Tracfone/Safelink; Virgin Mobile/Assurance Wireless; i-wireless. Each wireless company offers one or more service plans with varied number of minutes, features, etc., so it is important to choose the one that best fits your entire household’s needs. Each income eligible household can have only one lifeline product so it is critical to determine whether the household’s needs are best met through a landline or a mobile phone with a limited number of free minutes.
Link-Up provides eligible households that do not currently have telephone service with discounts of 50% (up to $25.00) off the initial cost of installing telephone service. Lifeline households are eligible for Link-Up one time per residence; however, if they move, they can receive Link-Up credit each time they move. If your phone number changes, however, you will have to reapply for UTAP.
WHO IS ELIGIBLE?
There are two ways to qualify for UTAP and/or Link-Up.
Your total household income must be at or less than 135% of the federal poverty level, or
You or someone living in your household receives benefits from one of the following programs:
SNAP (Food Stamps)
General Assistance
Head Start (income-based qualification only)
Home Energy Assistance Target program (HEAT)/Home Electric Lifeline Program (HELP)
Medicaid
National Free School Lunch Program (not reduced)
Public Housing Assistance
Refugee Assistance
Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
Temporary Assistance to needy Families (TANF)
Work Toward Employment
HOW DO I APPLY FOR UTAP AND LINK-UP?
You can call your participating telephone service provider, CentraCom Interactive, 435-427-3331 or 1-800-427-8449, and request an application and one will be mailed to you; or
You can call the State of Utah UTAP Program at 1-800-948-7540 and request an application and one will be mailed to you; or go to HYPERLINK “http://housing.utah.gov/seal/utap.html” http://housing.utah.gov/seal/utap.html and print an application ; or
You can apply for UTAP at the same time you apply for the HEAT program
Once the completed application is returned to the State Office, it will be screened for eligibility. If the applicant is eligible, they will be added to a list that will be generated bi-weekly and e-mailed or faxed to the local telephone company which will then add the customer to the UTAP customer list. The discount will begin applying from the date the application was approved. The applicant will receive notification and information regarding when and how the discount will be applied. Applicants not eligible will receive a denial letter stating the reason for denial and information regarding their right to appeal.