The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has now paid almost 99% of
eligible farmers under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS).
The latest figures from the RPA show that BPS payments
worth £1.76 billion were made to farmers by 29 February.
This is an improved position on last year, with 1.4% more
customers paid by the end of February 2020 compared with
the end of February 2019.
By 29 February, over £150 million was paid out to farmers
who do important environmental work through Countryside
Stewardship (CS) and Environmental Stewardship (ES), such
as restoring wildlife habitats and creating woodlands –
more than two and a half times the value in the previous
year.
Final full payments for stewardship schemes have started to
arrive with customers four months earlier than last year,
with customers receiving one full revenue payment for the
first time as part of a wider improvement plan to deliver a
better service to customers.
77% of eligible farmers and land managers have received
their full Environmental Stewardship (ES) claim, worth a
total of £133 million. 37% of eligible Countryside
Stewardship (CS) customers have been paid their full claim,
compared with 19.5% customers who had been paid 75% of
their claim this time last year.
RPA Chief Executive Paul Caldwell said:
We fully understand how important it is to farmers and
land managers that they receive prompt payments in full.
That is why as part of our continuous work to improve
these schemes, we are making Countryside Stewardship and
Environmental Stewardship payments to farmers in full
this year, meaning more farmers receive their total
payment earlier in the window.
We are working tirelessly to ensure remaining payments
are made as quickly as possible.
Customers should expect to receive their full payments by
the end of the payment window in June 2020.
The application window for this year’s simplified
Countryside Stewardship scheme is currently open and
farmers and land managers with an ES or CS agreement
expiring this year can sign up now for a new agreement to
start in 2021.
The government is urging farmers who are new to
stewardship, or who have an expiring agreement, to enter
into a new CS agreement so they can continue delivering
benefits on their land, making a difference to the
environment now by joining an improving and expanding
scheme. Those who sign up to CS who wish to enter the new
Environmental Land Management Scheme will be able to leave
their agreements at agreed exit points, without penalty.
The application window for BPS 2020 will open in March and
the RPA encourages all claimants to submit their
applications as soon as they are able to. The level of
funding available for BPS Direct Payments for 2020 will be
the same as for 2019, with the rates for payments to be
confirmed later this year.
The claim window for customers with existing CS and ES
revenue agreements will also open in March and customers
are encouraged to submit their claim for 2020 payment as
soon as they are able to and ahead of the 15 May deadline.
Payments are made direct to bank accounts via BACS transfer
so farmers should make sure the RPA has the most up-to-date
account details on the Rural Payments service.
