The National Farmers’ Union has called on the government to address severe delays in solving BPS claim issues of previous years.
This comes as the NFU’s latest member survey on BPS reports that 14% of farmers said they still have outstanding problems from 2015 and 2016.
Another statistic from the survey shows a year-on-year increase of assistance needed by claimants to complete the BPS application. Over half (55%) of claimants in 2017 required help, compared to 46% in 2016.
NFU Vice President Guy Smith: “While we can see there is progress being made by the RPA, it’s clear that an unacceptably large proportion of farmers are still haunted by problems yet to be rectified.
“We are still hearing from too many members who are becoming understandably angry about delays, errors and underpayments. It's understandable how these claimants simply do not see or benefit from the positive steps our survey shows the RPA has made. ”
'Under pressure'
Those with problems from previous years struggled with some of the elements of the 2017 claim, with some needing to complete supplementary forms to show land correctly.
Mr Smith continued: “This will add to the workload in the coming months for the RPA, when resources must be under pressure. There is a still strong expectation of the RPA achieving at least 90% claims paid in December.
“The rise in claimants seeking professional assistance with their applications is alarming. We’ve always maintained that BPS should not be beyond the average farmer - it should be an accessible system for all.”
'Lack of clarity'
In the survey, over half of those interviewed said they needed assistance.
The NFU said this shows that cost is being loaded into the industry through lack of clarity and a perception that the process is difficult.
Many NFU members who did not have claim issues found the process straightforward.
Mr Smith concluded: “This survey work will arm us in our talks with the RPA to shape the next BPS year, to ensure that the application system is fit for purpose and that the delivery of BPS monies is accurate and timely.”
The NFU interviewed 364 farmers across all regions in England between 5 July and 21 July 2017 in order to obtain the data.
