New entitlements application (SP20) form - FAQ
Issued: 17/07/2009
Updated 03/08/2009 - Q10 added
1. Will I get a receipt for my new entitlements application form?
We will send you an acknowledgement card when we receive your SP20 form as confirmation of receipt. After this, unless we have any queries, or your form is invalid, you may not hear from us until you receive your Entitlements Statement in January or February 2010.
2. I have sent in an RLE1 form to register my land for new entitlements with the RPA, but I have not yet received any maps. What areas should I declare on my SP20 form?’
If you sent in a completed RLE1 form marked ‘ONV’ before 15 June 2009 to register new land for new entitlements, we will send you maps by 24 July 2009 for the parcels you included on the RLE1 form.
If we received your completed RLE1 form marked ‘ONV’ after 15 June we will send you your maps for the parcels included on the form within 28 days of us receiving your RLE1 form. If you have not received your map or any map-related correspondence within 28 days of sending it to us, please contact the Customer Service Centre.
You can then use these areas, less any permanent or temporary Single Payment Scheme (SPS) ineligible features, on your SP20 form.
We are currently updating the Ordnance Survey mapping data we hold on our Rural Land Register (RLR). Because of this, if you have existing land already on the RLR, you may not receive your map(s) before the 13 August deadline.
In all cases, it is your responsibility to tell us the correct land area(s) on your SP20, based on the information you currently hold, taking into account permanent and temporary SPS ineligible features and any changes that have occurred since you received your last maps.
3. Will I be paid for this in 2009?
The SP20 is not a claim for payment. It is an application form on which you are able to apply for new entitlements. You will be able to claim payment against your new entitlements (as long as they are activated against eligible land) for the first time in 2010 by completing and sending us a Single Payment Scheme 2010 Application for the Single Payment in England (SP5) form. We must receive applications for the Single Payment Scheme 2010 by 17 May 2010.
4. Is anybody allowed to sign the SP20 form on my behalf?
If the SP20 is being signed by an agent or a partner they must be authorised (empowered) to make the application for new entitlements. If they are not already empowered to submit applications for the business you will need to complete and send us a valid Agent/Partnership Authorisation (SP9) form with your SP20.
You can print a copy from our website. Alternatively you can ask us to send an SP9 form to you by contacting our Customer Service Centre on 0845 6037777.
5. Can a farmer express an interest right up to the deadline for submission of the SP20?
Yes, a farmer can express an interest until 13 August 09 (the deadline for SP20’s). However, if you are not already registered with us you will need to register for a Single Business Identifier (SBI) and register your land with us before you can submit an SP20. This may cause a delay to your application which will result in late application penalties. Applications will not be accepted later than 7 September 2009. Therefore we recommend you contact us as soon as possible on 0845 6037777.
6. If two farmers have ownership of a field during the reference period, who can apply for the new entitlements?
If more than one farmer occupied the land during the reference period and both/all apply for new entitlements, the farmer who had the land at his disposal at the latest point in the reference period would be the one who is eligible for the new entitlements.
It is possible for two or more farmers to apply to establish entitlements in separate parts of the same land parcel, where the total area they establish entitlements on is not greater than the total newly eligible area of the land parcel. Further guidance can be found in paragraph C18 on page 13 of the Single Payment Scheme Application to establish new entitlements (SP20) guidance (permanent Fruit and Vegetables, Nursery Crops and Vines) June 2009.
7. Can farmers apply for payments from the National Reserve?
If the standard method of calculating your allocation of new entitlements does not accurately reflect your current business you can apply to the National Reserve to increase the number of new entitlements.
The National Reserve rules and eligibility criteria can be found at Part D, Page 14 of the Single Payment Scheme Application to establish new entitlements (SP20) guidance (permanent Fruit and Vegetables, Nursery Crops and Vines) June 2009. Farmers should read this information carefully to work out whether or not they can apply.
8. How many expressions of interest in new entitlements has RPA received by 10 June?
As at 10 June 2009 we have received 1,419 expressions of interest.
9. What date should be entered in column B9 on the SP20 application form?
You should enter here the last date, during the relevant reference period (see paragraph C1 of the Application to establish new entitlements (SP20) Guidance (June 2009)), you grew an eligible crop on the land. If you were growing the crop in the reference period and the crop is still in the ground now, enter the final date of the reference period. If you removed the crop during the reference period, enter the date the crop was removed. If you removed the crop before the reference period started, enter the date the crop was removed (in this case the land in question would not meet the eligibility requirements set out in paragraph C2 of the Guidance).
10. When will I find out what my allocation of new entitlements will be?
Once you have sent us your new entitlements application form (SP20) and we have sent you an acknowledgement that we have received it, you may not hear from us until January/February 2010 when we start to send out the Entitlements Statements. The Entitlements Statement we send will confirm the new entitlements we have given you.
Page published: 8 December 2011
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