98% of eligible farmers have no received their first installment of the new delinked payments, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has said.
This means that a further £401 million has now been released into the rural economy alongside funding from other schemes.
This payment is the first of two instalments this year. The RPA has also brought forward the second instalment, which this year will be paid from September 30.
Farmers will receive continued support through delinked payments until 2027.
Delinked payments provide continued financial support as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) encourages farmers and land managers to enter the Environmental Land Management schemes (ELMs).
In the ELMs, farmers are paid to take actions that will support sustainable food production while protecting the environment.
RPA chief executive Paul Caldwell said: “I know that farmers have continued to face a range of challenges this year, with the wet weather and rising costs impacting bottom lines.
“I am pleased that we have made the first instalment and this year have been able to bring forward the second instalment, which will be paid from September 30.
“We will continue to make sure farmers are paid promptly to improve cash flow during this challenging period.”
Delinked payments are based on the average Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) payment made to the business for the 2020 to 2022 scheme years.
The RPA will apply progressive reductions when it calculates delinked payments each year from 2024 to 2027.
The payments are made directly to farmers’ bank accounts via BACS transfer so farmers should make sure that RPA has the most up-to-date account details on the Rural Payments service.
