Advance Payment of Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2022
We have received an update from the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) regarding a change they are making to arrangements for this year’s BPS payment, which means you will receive a 50% advance payment from 31st July.
The RPA issued a statement explaining why they have introduced this measure which was as follows;
The price of agricultural commodities has always been closely correlated to energy prices. Manufactured Ammonium Nitrate depends on large quantities of gas and when the gas price spikes, so do fertiliser costs and other input costs such as tractor diesel and electricity. This means that farmers are carrying an increased risk on their profit and loss account, and the RPA recognises that there is an increased pressure on cash flow in the short term.
The RPA have therefore decided to bring forward 50% of this year’s BPS payment as an advance injection of cash to farm businesses from the end of July, to provide you with some confidence. The balance will be paid in the payment window from December.
We understand that the RPA intend to make this a permanent change to the way they pay BPS in future with twice yearly instalments going forward. We anticipate that the first payment will be based on 50% of the previous year’s claim value, and any adjustments will be made in the balancing payment in December.
You do not need to do anything to access this payment.
