Miliband admits SPS deadline doubts

However, the Defra Secretary said the agency ‘should remain focused’ on achieving the target of making 96.14 per cent payments by June 30.

By last Friday, May 11, just over £1.2 billion had been paid out in England, representing around 80 per cent of the estimated total SPS 2006 fund of £1.54bn.

The RPA needs to pay out about another £280m over the remaining seven weeks to meet its deadline, an average of £40m a week, more than double the payment rate of recent weeks.

Just over 100,000 claimants have now received full or partial payments. Of the 8,500 claimants yet to receive a payment, the majority have claims under 1000 Euro. The remaining claims include many of the more complex cases.

In a Parliamentary statement that coincided with the May 15 deadline for 2007 SPS claims, Mr Miliband said: “I have confirmed with the RPA chief executive (Tony Cooper) that, while it remains very challenging, the agency should remain focused on achieving the existing target of making 96.14% of payments by June 30 and continue to prioritise activity in respect of claimants who find themselves in difficult circumstances.

“I have also discussed with him additional steps that can be taken to help achieve this.”

He also admitted the RPA was still reviewing 22,000 2005 SPS claims. Work to review entitlement values for all these claims will now be undertaken separately from the process of making payments under the 2006 scheme, he said.

“Any corrections to SPS 2005 and 2006 payments will follow as necessary. The RPA chief executive is taking a number of other steps to further streamline processing of claims,” he said.

Moving on to SPS 2007, he said application packs were dispatched ahead of RPA’s internal target and completed forms ‘have been received at a steady rate ahead of today’s deadline’.

“The first stages of processing have also begun.

“I am very aware of the impact on individual farmers of the payment timetable and the service levels the RPA currently offers in respect of the SPS. I remain committed to ensuring continued improvements in these areas,” he said.