The RPA has issued an update on BPS 2017 payment delivery. As of 20 December, BPS payments had been made to over 71,000 farmers in England. This equates to just under 84% of eligible claimants, and payments worth circa £1.3 billion in total, which the NFU estimates is approximately 74% of the total fund.
Emails and letters were issued in late December to those who will or who may not be paid for BPS 2017 in December. The NFU is continuing to push for bridging payments to give a better degree of financial certainty at this time.
If you have already received a payment:
With the RPA issuing Claim Statements much earlier for BPS 2017 than in previous years, it is important that you understand how your payment has been calculated and raise any concerns with the RPA using its Payment Query Form.
Looking at online mapping and entitlement details, a copy of the claim submitted will help to pin point any issues. To help, the NFU has put together a briefing document for members covering BPS 2017 payments.