BPS Lump Sum Exit Scheme requires all parties involved to be 'creative' - TFA

The Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) is hoping that the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) Lump Sum Exit Scheme can be a catalyst for change, but it will require all parties involved to be creative about its implementation and use.

A Defra consultation on the Lump Sum Exit Scheme is expected over the next few weeks.

This will provide some useful information for individuals to consider thinking about whether the scheme is right for them.

TFA chief executive, George Dunn, said: “We are not expecting the scheme to deliver enough in itself to provide a full retirement benefit.

However, taken as part of a portfolio, it could be an extremely important catalyst to encourage people to retire.

“For tenant farmers that portfolio could include a payment from the landlord for a tenancy surrender, compensation for tenants’ improvements to holdings, sale of live and dead stock and other available pensions.”

‘A less than helpful approach’

Dunn added that sadly, the TFA is already beginning to see evidence of landlords taking a less than helpful approach to discussions around tenancy surrender.

He said that early reports from TFA members suggest that in some cases where tenants are revisiting previous negotiations on a tenancy surrender that failed to arrive at an agreed value, agents for landlords are reducing offers in view of the potential availability of the exit scheme.

He explained:

This short-sighted, knee-jerk reaction is sadly typical of the way in which we see some landlords’ agents operating.

“In many cases, tenants looking to take part in the scheme will be on secure, long-term agreements at regulated rents.

“The landlord’s benefit from the scheme is getting back vacant possession of the farm which they can then either sell unencumbered by the tenancy or rent out on a new tenancy at a market rent.