Basic Payment Calculator 2019 (England) available for payment checks
Strutt & Parker’s 2019 Basic Payment Calculator (England) is now available to allow farmers to check the accuracy of the payments which are currently arriving in bank accounts.
The Rural Payments Agency started making 2019 payments on 2 December, with all payments being made directly to bank accounts via BACS transfer.
The claim statements, which explain how the payments have been calculated, will follow in the post.
Strutt & Parker’s Basic Payment Calculator is an easy way for farm businesses to calculate what they can expect to have been paid in 2019, assuming they have been subject to no payment reductions.
The RPA had previously confirmed that the Sterling value of payments will be worked out using the exchange rate of €1 = 0.89092, the rate set as the average exchange rate over the month of September.
It had also published details of the value in Euros of each entitlement, including the greening payment – all of which are slightly higher than last year.
The Financial Discipline reduction applied to BPS 2019 payments over €2,000 will be 1.432635%.
The payment authorities are urging farmers to be vigilant over the coming weeks, as fraudsters are aware of the timing of subsidy payments and will be seeking to exploit that knowledge.
The RPA has reminded farmers:
Banks, the police or the RPA will never ask you to reveal your online password, PIN or bank account details or ask you to make a payment over the telephone.
Never disclose personal information to someone you don’t know or open unknown or unexpected computer links or emails.
If in doubt, call the organisation back, ideally on a different telephone, using a number you are familiar with or you know to be official. You can find this on the organisation’s website, correspondence or statement.
If you would like a copy of the 2019 BPS calculator, please send an email to Lizzy Norman with your name, email address and address.
