Full Single Payments to begin in England this week

Defra Secretary Hilary Benn announced on Tuesday (December 18) that Rural Payments Agency chief executive Tony Cooper had given the green light following a successful pilot run on December 10.

“The necessary system and process updates have progressed to plan. Having evaluated the results of that pilot, the RPA chief executive has now authorised a series of full payment runs with the first payments expected to be with claimants this week,” Mr Benn said.

The decision means payments have been initiated a month earlier than last year. No indication is given, however, of how many people are to be paid and how much over the coming weeks.

Mr Benn said the agency was ‘on track’ to meet its 2007 SPS targets of paying 75 per cent in value by the end of March and 90 per cent by the end of May. Around 106,000 claims have been submitted under the 2007 SPS.

Mr Benn also revealed in a Parliamentary statement that there are still 140 SPS 2006 claimants still awaiting money. About 60 of these have received a partial payment and are awaiting the balancing sum. Work has also to be completed on a further 80 claims, mainly small ones and those affected by legal issues such as probate.

Starting in the New Year, interest will be paid to claimants on sums paid after June 30 2007 on the same basis as for the 2005 scheme, he added.

Mr Benn said reviews had been completed on all but 1,150 cases out of the total of 38,250 2005 and 2006 cases identified for review.

“Where appropriate, additional payments are being made on the reviewed cases. Work is also underway to recover overpayments,” he said.

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