In total, the RPA has managed to deliver BPS payments to over 93% of BPS claimants, and we believe approximately 85% of all commoners have now received a payment and we are still some five weeks ahead of when the first commons claims were paid last year for BPS 2015 - a real improvement.
We aren’t there yet, but it was important to get money out to commoners as soon as possible to aid cash flow pressures. The remaining payments due could be held up due to non-commons related issues such as inspections.
We’ve continued our regular meetings with the RPA to discuss commons issues and hear what progress they’ve have made. Behind the scenes, the RPA has been reviewing mapping to ensure adjustments can be made for 2015 and 2016, allowing a robust basis for future BPS payments. The information on eligible areas of each common will be updated on gov.uk, and we hope the RPA will make maps available to commoners who still have problems. With the main focus on getting 2016 payments out, the allocation of retrospective payments and entitlements as a result of the Minchinhampton and Rodborough legal case has taken a back seat understandably, but we are still lobbying to ensure this work is completed as swiftly as possible.
A new development for commoners this week is the ability to speak to the commons team at the RPA, to discuss specific commons issues. This is accessed through the normal RPA helpline 03000 200301.
The key now for the NFU is holding RPA to account in sorting out the remaining issues identified, as swiftly and efficiency as possible.