09/05/11 - 95% of 2011 Uplands Transitional Payments made
| RPA Press Release |  | 9 May 2011 |
The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has paid 95% of hill farmers their Uplands Transitional Payment. Figures published today show that 2,079 claims have been paid, representing 95% per cent of eligible claimants. £7.3m has reached farmers’ bank accounts.
Farmers who are eligible can receive their payment when all the administrative checks have been completed, provided their SPS claim is also fully validated.
This is the first year of the Upland Transitional Payment (UTP) scheme which has been aimed at farmers unable to enter the new strand of Environmental Stewardship (Uplands Entry Level Stewardship) due to continuing commitments in Environmentally Sensitive Area or Countryside Stewardship Scheme agreements . Uplands ELS succeeded the Hill Farm Allowance.
Along with Uplands Entry Level Stewardship, it aims to make sure that agriculture continues to make its irreplaceable contribution to rural society and the managed environment of the English uplands.
The Uplands Transitional Payment 2012 to 2014 booklet is now available on our website at
rpa.defra.gov.uk/utp and has been sent out to claimants. The UTP 2012 claim can be made on the SPS 2011 application using the SPS Online service, which is now available on the Business Link website via
www.businesslink.gov.uk/sps-claim and select ‘Log in to RPA Online’. Farmers who have not used the service before should then select ‘Go to RPA Online to register’.
Notes to Editors
1. This is the first year of UTP, which is one of the schemes in England’s Rural Development Programme and is delivered by the Rural Payment Agency. In the HFA scheme, farmers were paid a partial payment which was topped up later in the year; for UTP farmers are being paid full payments.
2. UTP provides dedicated support to beef and sheep farmers in England’s upland areas. It recognises the difficulties that farmers face in these regions and the vital role they play in maintaining the landscape and rural communities of the hills.
3. UTP is a transitional scheme for HFA 2010 claimants who are unable to enter into the successor scheme, Uplands ELS. This is due to existing commitments on Countryside Stewardship or Environmentally Sensitive Areas agreements. UTP will continue to be delivered by RPA until 2014 and is claimed for on the SPS application. The details can be found on our website, at
rpa.defra.gov.uk/utp
4. RPA is an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). It is the single paying agency responsible for CAP schemes in England and is responsible for administering the Single Payment Scheme (SPS). Other key services include carrying out rural inspections and livestock tracing.
5. RPA’s website is now found at rpa.defra.gov.uk
6. Media only contact:
Timma Marett, RPA Press Office, 01189 687680;
timma.marett@rpa.gsi.gov.uk
Page published: 8 May 2013