As the May 15 deadline for the Single Application Form (SAF) looms, farmers are being warned to ‘check, check and check again’ rather than risk making mistakes on the most important form they are likely to complete in a decade.
“The SAF, also known to farmers as the IACS, will establish Welsh Basic Payment Scheme entitlements for the foreseeable future, and under EC Regulations the penalties for errors are harsh,” said FUW head of policy Nick Fenwick.
“There is a one percent payment penalty for every day a form is late after May 15 up until June 9, and forms submitted after midnight on June 9 are rejected outright.”
Mr Fenwick said that the rules were equally strict when it came to errors on forms and corrections, despite the forms and mapping requirements being more complex than ever before.
“A single tick in the wrong box or a miscalculation of eligible areas can result in vast financial penalties or even lead to the loss of everything,” he added.
Mr Fenwick said farmers should not only ensure forms were submitted on time, but also take the opportunity after submission to check the statements provided by Welsh Government.
“This year more than ever before farmers should not sit back after submitting the SAF – they should take the time to check the statement provided by Welsh Government for errors.
“Under the EC regulations, if Welsh Government find an error before a farmer does, it is too late for the error to be corrected, so failing to look over the statement in the coming days could be extremely expensive and have long term repercussions for businesses.”
