You Can Help Someone Stay in Touch Link-Up, Lifeline and UTSAP Most of use rely on the phone for everyday contact with employers, schools, family, and doctors. In an emergency, we know that with a quick dial of 9-1-1, emergency help is on the way.  But many low-income households lack this important service. More than 5% of Illinois households have no phone.  For the past five years, the Universal Telephone Service Assistance Program (UTSAP) has helped qualified low-income households in Illinois to obtain and maintain local phone service. UTSAP is administered by the Universal Telephone Assistance Corporation (UTAC), a not-for-profit corporation of all local phone companies. The federal Life-line and Link-Up programs supplement UTSAP to make phone service possible for qualifying households. More then 100,000 households have received assistance through these important programs.  Where can individuals find assistance?  Three programs in Illinois are currently in place to help qualified individuals overcome the financial obstacles to obtaining and maintaining basic local phone service: Link-up, Lifeline and the Universal Telephone Service Assistance Program (UTSAP). Combined, these three programs pay the cost of phone installation and provide a discount off the monthly cost of basic local phone service.  Who Qualifies for the programs?  Individuals who are participating in one or more of the following government programs can automatically qualify for Link-Up, Lifeline, and UTSAP. Qualifying households must participate in: Medicaid, Food Stamps, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), federal public housing assistance or the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).  How does a person apply? Application for these programs is simple. Individuals must provide copy of a photo ID which includes a signature and a copy of their assistance program card or paperwork to their local telephone office and simply request to apply for Link-Up, Lifeline and/or UTSAP. The telephone company representative should be able to verify eligibility over the phone or through the mail. How can I help more people to get assistance?  Illinois' UTSAP program, which contributes both to reducing the cost of phone installation and the monthly phone bill, is founded entirely by voluntary contributions from Illinois citizens. Anyone can make a small monthly contribution to UTSAP by notifying their local phone company. These monthly contributions are simply added to the regular telephone bill. In addition, individuals can make a one-time contribution directly to the Universal Telephone Assistance Corporation, which oversees the UTSAP program. One-time contributions can be mailed to: UTAC, P.O. Box 1176, Springfield, Illinois 62705-1176   Back To Benefits