Delinked payments – Cross Compliance – Dates for this month’s diary – SFI 2023
Delinked Payments
RPA plan to introduce delinked payments in 2024. The last payments under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in England will be made for the 2023 scheme year.
Delinked Payments Information Statements will be sent out soon. These will show the ‘reference data’ based on BPS payments in the reference period, which is the 2020 to 2022 scheme years. The reference data determines the reference amount we use to calculate delinked payments, if you are eligible – minus the progressive reductions for that year.
You should check the information statement and raise any queries by 29 February 2024.
From 15 February to 10 May 2024, you can choose to transfer some or all of your reference data to another business. The Delinked payments: replacing the Basic Payment Scheme guidance explains more about when you can transfer out your reference data to another business, and we will tell you how to do this later in the year.
Make sure your ‘Business contact details’ are up to date with Rural Payments online
RPA will send the information statement(s) to the email address they have for your business. i.e. the one in the ‘Business contact details’ section of the ‘Business details’ in the Rural Payments service. If you need to update, or add, your business email address please do so as soon as possible.
Cross compliance
Cross compliance in England ends on 31 December 2023. Regulations will continue to protect the environment and animal health and welfare. DEFRA say compliance will be monitored by the existing statutory bodies and regulated in a fair, proportionate and consistent way. This means, wherever possible, working with farmers to get it right and giving them opportunities to self-correct before taking formal action.
See the Rules for Farmers page on GOV.UK to find the rules in one place.
SFI 2023
The SFI scheme is proving popular with more applications submitted every day. Almost 1,000 applications submitted and agreements have been offered since the scheme started accepting applications. Agreements are being turned around quickly and the first scheme payments have been already been made. Every farmer whose agreement started on 1 October 2023 has received the payment
Most farmers no longer need to submit registrations of interest and can now apply directly online, simplifying the application process. SFI is certainly worth exploring to see how it might be of benefit to your business.
As always if you would like to discuss any of the above, please contact
Carol Johnson
01434 607 028 07753693111