Farmers have been alerted to a key deadline change which could help their financial planning during the Covid-19 crisis.
It was announced by the government last month that the deadline to submit claims for direct payments has been extended from 15 May to 15 June.
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) said it would continue to monitor the situation and consider further measures as the coronavirus pandemic continues.
But farmers and land managers are still being encouraged to submit claims and applications through the Rural Payments Service as soon as they are able to.
Helen Gough, who advises farmers at law firm mfg Solicitors, said that many farming businesses may have overlooked the new announcement.
The Covid-19 crisis may have made it difficult for farmers to meet with their agents and in turn miss key deadline announcements, she said.
“With the 15 May deadline to submit claims for this payment only a matter of days away, farmers need to be aware that due to Covid-19 the government has extended the deadline to midnight on 15 June.
"If they need to amend an application they have until the 30 June to do so without incurring a penalty," Ms Gough added.
“Overall, many farmers are at risk of missing or misunderstanding deadlines so the rule of thumb is to engage as quickly as possible with their agents and advisors.”
Applications for the Countryside Stewardship Higher-Tier Scheme ended on 1 May. However, farmers can still apply for a Mid-Tier agreement with applications accepted up until 31 July.
Farmers have been urged to contact Natural England through their off-farm advice programme to book a clinic session.
