The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has announced that advance payments of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) will be issued on the 1st of August. Up to 50% of the total annual payment will be allocated to help growers impacted by price rises in the industry and to smooth out cashflow issues through the summer.
In response to feedback, the RPA has vowed to make the majority of payments on a single day, instead of starting payments in July and concluding them in August as in 2022.
Paul Caldwell, chief executive of the Rural Payments Agency, said: “We recognise the importance of these payments to the rural community, which is why we listened to the sector and are making the majority of payments on one day to provide certainty to farmers.
“This also marks the second year of the permanent change to two payments, with the first instalment brought forward to the summer, and I’m pleased this is having a positive impact on farmers’ cashflow.”
The RPA expects the majority of growers to receive the payment on time, although some claims will require additional checks and will take longer to process. These farmers can expect to be contacted by the RPA, who will advise them on the next steps.
Payments will also reflect the progressive reductions in BPS payments, which will continue until 2027 when direct payments will cease. These are been replaced with the Environmental Land Management schemes and the Sustainable Farming Incentive.
Growers should now ensure that the RPA has their up-to-date bank account details. Once the advance payment is made, a remittance notice will be sent in the post confirming the amount paid. When the balance is paid in December, a claim statement will be sent explaining how the payments were worked out.
For more information go to www.gov.uk