It’s crunch time for tens of thousands of farmers across the UK yet to submit their Single Application for this year’s Basic Payment Scheme.
The May 15 deadline for submitting online is fast approaching with less than two weeks left to go.
Northern Ireland
In Northern Ireland, more than half of the expected applications are still outstanding.
Teresa O’Neill, head of area-based schemes delivery, at the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Development (DAERA), urged farmers who have not yet taken any action, to act now without delay.
“We expect to receive approximately 25,000 Single Applications and to date, we have received 12,000 (approximately 48%),” she said.
Last year, almost two-thirds had still not applied just three weeks ahead of the deadline. However, by May 3, this had changed to less than half. It means that by this point in 2018, 1,000 more farmers in the region had already submitted their applications.
It might be a sign that the process went smoothly last year, but does not mean that applicants should be complacent, O’Neill explained.
She warned that additional actions may be required, however, these will only become clear once the process has begun.
Farmers should not take unnecessary risks by assuming their application could be straightforward.
“DAERA provides lots of different ways to assist you to complete your application and I would encourage you to avail of them,” she said.
“The Government Gateway service that is used to access DAERA Online Services has recently been updated, and you may find you will need to take action to ensure your continued access to DAERA Online Services.
“If this is the case and you leave it until the last few days it increases the risk of your application being late, causing a financial loss for your business.”
If Young Farmers’ Payment or Environmental Farming Scheme (EFS) are part of your application it’s particularly important to get started straight away as there is some documentary evidence needed to demonstrate that the young farmer is the head of the business.
All Tranche 1 and Tranche 2 EFS participants, who started their agreements on July 1, 2017, January 1, 2018, or January 1, 2019, must make their claim for payment on the online Single Application.
Some EFS Wider participants who started their agreement in July 2017 will already have done all the work and will have claimed most, if not all, of their payment during 2018.
However, it is important that these EFS participants complete the online Single Application in each of the four remaining years of their EFS agreement to confirm they are continuing to maintain the options they established and were paid for.
Scotland
It’s a similar situation in Scotland where the good weather over the last few weeks is thought to have caused many farmers to have prioritised spring work over their application.
As of May 1, 6,653 Single Application Forms had been submitted, meaning around two-thirds are yet to be returned.
NFU Scotland is urging those outstanding to now prioritise submitting their forms as soon as possible. By May 15, it’s expected more than 18,000 farmers, crofters and land managers will have applied.
Scots can apply either online or by a paper copy which can be collected from Local Area Offices.
The online application process has seen significant improvements in recent years and the majority of applications are now made digitally.
By submitting applications online, the system will flag up any errors before the application is accepted. However, individuals can also go to their Local Area Office where staff can help with the process.
NFU Scotland policy manager for CAP Schemes Jenny Brunton said: “The recent good weather may have been a welcome distraction for many farmers and crofters who are yet to complete their 2019 Single Application Form (SAF) but we cannot emphasise enough how important prioritising this work is.
“The May 15 deadline is fast approaching and we urge farmers and crofters to concentrate on completing their submission before the last hour.
The key thing that everyone completing a form needs to do is double check before and after submission that what is intended to be the BPS claim is actually what is submitted – and don’t forget the Young Farmer Top Up if you are lucky enough to be in that age bracket.
Farmers and crofters are reminded to submit all supporting documentation and keep a proof of submission, whether that be a receipt from your area office or for online applications, print off proof of your submission including the date.
Defra was unable to provide comparable figures for England and Wales.
