BPS blog: Countdown to the 2017 deadline

The NFU has again helped many members to complete their annual BPS applications.

While the future of such a system and support scheme may be in question, the clear focus at present is ensuring this year’s claim is completed correctly, ‘so that the industry does its side of the deal’, allowing the RPA to deliver prompt payments later on. 

The challenges

It’s not been an easy few months for many completing this year’s claim. Those particularly impacted either had an inspection in 2016 and have seen unexpected mapping issues to sort out, or still have uncertainty over the status of the first two claims made. 

Be assured, the NFU has continued to raise concerns with the RPA around these two issues for many months.  For those with inspections, the RPA has started to issue inspection findings or at least a letter warning of the situation and what to do (which we have set out below). For those with historical claim issues, correction work is ongoing and payments / decisions are being made again for 2015 and 2016.

Where are we now?

As in previous years, there are lots of claims still to submit at the time of writing, a week before the 15 May BPS 2017 deadline. The key factors that impact on the timing of form completion have been the weather, which for most has not stopped field work at an already busy time of the year, or the aforementioned mapping and payment issues.  To help you, we have put together some key reminders in the links below.

If you do have a problem, then do give our experienced NFU CallFirst staff a call on 0370 8458458.

Here are a few reminders from me if the form still needs to be completed, or indeed has been completed (you can still amend a claim for 2017). If you’ve not started your application, please do so without delay:
 

*New* 2017 Hints and Tips

The RPA has released a new 2017 Hints and Tips document. This covers some of the rules that are causing farmers concerns or issues seen this year when farmers have been filling in and submitting the forms – IT glitches for example. It can be found here.

Mapping and 2015 /2016 post-payment adjustments impacting on BPS 2017 claims

Farmers are advised to complete their claim applications using the information they know to be correct on the ground.

Farmers who are still subject to ongoing post-payment adjustment activity as a result of their queries will be aware that the current online data could change. Also farmers who have been inspected, including Remote Sensing Inspections, have received information from RPA advising of impacts which could potentially alter their current online data.

Where farmers have concerns they can continue to check the online position online in the lead up to the claim deadline. They can also write to RPA at the point of the claim outlining what they believe to be the position based on information available to them.

Planned RPA system downtime

There is one period when the online Rural Payments service will not be unavailable this week. Details and any other news can be found on this webpage - keep an eye on this ahead of 15 May.

What does the 15 May BPS deadline mean?

If any supporting documents need to go in alongside an online application, then they need to get to the RPA by 15 May as follows. Here’s what the RPA says about deadline day:

Need to speak to the RPA or hand-deliver a claim?

Access to the RPA call centre or drop in centres has been extended this week to cover the 13 / 14 May weekend for BPS 2017-only enquiries.

RPA call centre 
Saturday 13 May         08:30 to 14:30
Sunday 14 May           08:30 to 14:30

RPA drop-in centres
Saturday 13 May         08:30 to 17:00
Sunday 14 May           08:30 to 17:00

Remember there are fewer drop-in centres this year - details of the six locations can be found here.

Pillar 2 schemes

Finally, do not forget the annual claim form that also needs to be submitted to Natural England for ELS / HLS or Countryside Stewardship Schemes, and to the Forestry Commission for woodland grants. The deadline is also 15 May.