BPS Payment Update November 5, 2015 12:00 am ‘The RPA has once again made assurances that BPS payments will begin in December with the ‘majority’ being paid before the end of the year and the ‘vast majority’ by the end of January. The Agency has also confirmed that processing of RLE1 form relating to entitlement transfers has now been completed. Notifications of transfers should all be sent out by the end of November. Those who are not going to be paid by the end of January should be informed at the end of November, this ‘late payment’ group is likely to include commons applications, cross border farms, super complex, probate cases and those who have had issues with inspections. On the face of it, this is good news, and the RPA is obviously making progress in terms of processing. However, it has a history of repeatedly issuing reassuring statements right up to the moment it has to do a U-turn (the online claim system from last spring being a prime example). Even if the RPA does keep to its timetable, there is the issue of ‘majority’. This would seem pretty simple – being over 50%. However it could be 50.1% or 100%; in terms of BPS payments it is likely to be closer to the former. Also, is it more than half of the claimants or more than half of the money? Claimants is the most likely as those smaller, simpler claims are much easier to process and are therefore likely to be completed sooner. The Scottish Government is also coming under increasing pressure to deliver. The Government aims to ‘begin payment before the end of the year, if possible’. It is the ‘if possible’ that is worrying many. However, the option of part payments is being considered. In Wales, it has been known for some time that the Welsh Government will issue part payments but further details have now been announced. This has a similar timetable to those in England. Part payments, worth around 80% of the total will begin in early December with the majority paid by the end of December and the vast majority by the end of January. The remaining 20% will be issued around May 2016.
