Chartered Surveyors,
Land & Estate Agents,
Auctioneers & Valuers

Harrogate

01423 730700

Knaresborough

01423 860322

Boroughbridge

01423 322382

Basic Payment Scheme

The minimum claim area remains at 5 Hectares. BPS claimants must meet the Cross Compliance rules detailed in the Statutory Management Requirements (SMR’s) and Good Agricultural and Environmental Condition (GAEC) requirements.

Young Farmers Scheme: Those under 40 can apply annually for a 25% top-up payment on up to 90 entitlements for up to 5 years after taking control of a business.

The Basic Payment is being reduced from 2021 with the last payment being in 2027.

DEFRA issued its Lump Sum and Delinked Payments Consultation for the Basic Payment on 19th May 2021. The deadline is 11th August with DEFRA’s intention being to respond in early October. These will be joined by new entrant support, with details of that yet to be set out. All the proposals below are subject to the consultation and so might change.

The Lump Sum Exit Scheme proposals

  • consolidate the remaining possible BPS claims from 2022 to 2027
  • cancel the claimants’ entitlements
  • require the claimants to retire from farming in their own right
  • land to be sold or leased to others or surrendered to the landlord
  • open for applications in the first half of 2022

De-linking of Basic Payment proposals

  • in 2024, ‘delink’ Basic Payment from the land for all farmers
  • recipients will no longer have to farm land to receive the payments
  • entitlements would go
  • payments would continue to be reduced over the period 2024 to 2027
  • based on a prior reference period: 2018-20/2018-22/2022 being considered
  • must still be farming in 2023

In the meantime Lister Haigh is able to provide expert advice and assistance with all aspects of the Basic Payment Scheme including:

  • Completion of the annual Basic Payment Application
  • Registering land on the Land Parcel Information System (LPIS).
  • Resolving disputes with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) arising from previous years claims
  • Submitting formal Appeals to the RPA
  • Registering new businesses with the RPA
  • Cross compliance matters and requests for derogations
  • Transfers of Entitlements between businesses

Please contact Catherine Johnston at our Knaresborough Office on 01423 860322 for further advice and assistance.

Useful Links

Rural Payments Agency (RPA)

Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)