What is the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS)?
The Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) is the biggest of the rural grants and payments that provide help to the farming industry. Farmers apply once a year – between March and May – and payments begin in December.
Who’s it for?
Farmers with at least 5 hectares of agricultural land and 5 ‘entitlements’ can apply. Some businesses are not allowed to claim if they carry out certain business activities.
BPS has been simplified
From the 2021 scheme year, the government intends to remove all 3 of the greening requirements: crop diversification, Ecological Focus Areas and the permanent grassland rules from BPS.
Read about these planned simplification changes which were announced on 27 July 2020.
Removing the greening rules will not affect overall BPS payments. The greening money will be added to BPS entitlements to become part of the main BPS payment.
Where a farmer has committed to using catch and cover crops for BPS 2020, these will have to be established and maintained for the required periods this autumn and over the winter as usual.
Greening simplification
Although the greening requirements will be removed for the BPS 2021 scheme year, you will still have to meet the minimum standards on the environment, animal and plant health, and animal welfare. This includes meeting the rules on hedges and buffer strips.
The land used to claim BPS payments will need to meet the rules that apply in the part of the UK where the land is located. Removing the greening rules in England from the 2021 scheme year means you would not need to meet the greening rules in relation to your land in England. We will provide more information on cross-border holdings as soon as we can.
Inspections will still be carried out to check land eligibility and to make sure that the cross compliance rules are being met.
Contact RPA
Email: ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk
Helpline: 03000 200 301
How do I apply?
When the scheme is open go to www.gov.uk/rural-payments to sign in and start.
source: www.gov.uk/rural-payments
