There will be no Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) application window in England in 2024 as the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) is replacing BPS with delinked payments.
You will automatically receive delinked payments if you claimed payments in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023, so there is no requirement to complete / submit a BPS application.
Delinked payments
Delinked payments will be paid each year from 2024 to 2027. Payments will be issued automatically to the bank account registered with the RPA, and payments will continue to be split into 50% paid from 1st August and 50% from 1st December.
The amount you receive will decrease each year as progressive reductions are applied. It is calculated based on a ‘reference amount’ which will normally be the average of your BPS payments made for the 2020 to 2022 scheme years. You must have claimed, and been eligible for, BPS payments in England in the 2023 scheme year (except for some inheritance cases).
Transferring reference data
Those who wish to transfer some or all their ‘reference amount’ for delinked payments to another business must do so by the 10th of May 2024. For example, farmers may wish to do this if their business has split, merged with another business, or been given a new Single Business Identifier since they were paid BPS 2020.
In most cases, transfer requests can be made in the Rural Payments service, and they have a ‘how to’ guide to help you do this. For transfers from closed businesses and for inherited land cases, you will need to complete a transfer request form and return it to the Rural Payments service by the deadline.
Making changes to your land
You should use the Rural Payments service to transfer or remove land as it’s the quickest and safest route to use.
If you are unable to use the Rural Payments service, you should use a Rural Land and Entitlements RLE1 form. You can complete the form on paper or electronically using the RLE1 guidance 2024 to help you complete the form.
For further help and advice, please contact our BPS Team on 01981 590514 or read more using the following links:
Delinked payments: replacing the Basic Payment Scheme – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Delinked Payments News – Rural payments (blog.gov.uk)
Delinked payments guidance: information about transferring reference data – Rural payments (blog.gov.uk)
