Introduction

Date published: 4 January, 2024

To see recent changes to this guidance, check the bottom of this page.

These notes cover the Basic Payment Scheme.

If you intend to take part in the Basic Payment Scheme you must read this guidance carefully and make sure you understand the requirements of the scheme.

We have described the basic rules but cannot cover every situation. If you do not understand anything please contact your local area office. If you need specific guidance, you should contact a professional adviser.

Our aim is to provide you with all the practical information you need but these notes for guidance do not provide a definitive statement of the law (which only the courts can give), nor can they substitute for advice on specific legal questions.

The following pages make up this guidance, please click on each to access each section.

To apply for this scheme, you must be registered with our online service.

You can find out more on how to register here

From 2024 scheme year the two-year usage rule no longer applies. 2023 is the last year where you could lose your entitlements due to non-activation of payment entitlements in two previous years.

Look out for the bold text boxes in this guidance. In them, we have listed steps you can take to avoid some of the most common mistakes found which can lead to either delays to payment of claims or penalties. However, these are not exhaustive lists, just some of the more common examples.

The following steps may seem simple but if you overlook them, they can have a serious effect on your payments.

  • The primary route to complete the Single Application Form is online. Our local RPID area offices can help you get online and they can discuss what further support is available.
  • A hand written paper SAF will only be considered by RPID in a very limited range of exceptional circumstances. To request a blank form you must write to your local area office stating your exceptional circumstances that prevent you or a mandated representative from submitting an online application.
  • If you're supplied with a paper Single Application Form, don’t forget to sign it. If you don’t sign it, we will not be able to process it and you will not be paid.
  • It is your responsibility to make sure your Single Application Form reaches us by 15 May*. If you are posting it you must remember to put the correct amount of postage on your envelope. The envelope may need more stamps than the usual first- or second-class delivery charge, especially if you are including other forms.
  • We recommend that you use a form of postage that will provide proof of receipt of your Single Application Form by us. You should keep the proof of postage slip provided by the Post Office and make sure that it clearly identifies beneath their stamp, that the item sent to us is your Single Application Form.
  • Royal Mail may not deliver the envelope to us in time to meet the 15 May* deadline if the postage on the envelope is not correct. If you do not pay enough postage and Royal Mail delivers the application late, we will use the date that it arrives at our office as the lodgement date of that application. This might mean late submission penalties will be applied to your claim if the date of receipt is after 15 May*.
  • Read these guidance notes carefully. If you are not sure, ask your local area office or relevant professional adviser for guidance.
  • If your business structure has changed (for example, it has merged or split or there has been a change in the partners) you need to contact us immediately as the change can affect your entitlements and your Single Application Form.

* If this date falls on a weekend, the window will close the following Monday.

The legal base for the Direct Payments Schemes is in Regulation (EU) No 1307/2013 of the European Parliament and the Council; Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) No 639/2014; and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 641/2014.

You should note in that respect that EU legislation has now been rolled over into domestic law as ‘assimilated EU law’.

Section Change
Important changes from the Single Farm Payment Scheme changed to Entitlements Text updated for clarification for 2024 scheme year

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Basic Payment Scheme full guidance