BPS adviser Anna Logan explains how to claim for payments and entitlements on common land under the previous Single Payment Scheme…and the mistakes to avoid.
She writes:
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So, what do you need to know now?
There’s still time to submit a claim but you will to need hit the RPA’s deadlines. The information we have got from working with the RPA is that NFU members should return their forms by 31 December to give the agency the best possible chance to consider them before the 2016 BPS application window opens.
I would suggest that you try and return the claim form as soon as possible and try not to forget about it.
I thought it would be useful to share some of the common mistakes that have been made on forms that the RPA have so far received.
If you haven’t already submitted the form, make sure you don’t make any of these mistakes
Out of approximately 3,500 commons claim forms that the RPA posted out, they have so far received more than 1,000 back. A small proportion of these have unfortunately failed the first validation check.
The four main reasons for failure so far have been:
- No address provided
- Single Business Identifier section left empty
- “Application category” boxes left unticked at part B of the claim form
- Forgetting to sign the back of the form
So if you haven’t already submitted the form, make sure you don’t make any of these mistakes. Hopefully the RPA will be in contact with you if you fail this validation check. If you’re concerned, give them a call on 03000 200301.
On a separate point, we continue to be concerned over when farmers with common land will receive their 2015 BPS payment. When Mark Grimshaw, the RPA CEO, spoke at NFU council in October, he said that any BPS claimants with common land would be unlikely to receive their 2015 BPS in December or January. We have raised our concerns at the highest level and will continue to do so.