The Rural Payments Agency will be accepting the electronic submission of Single Payment Scheme forms via the Government Gateway for the first time in 2008.

Farmplan's Single Payment Scheme (SPS) Planner software, which helps users identify land use codes and calculate eligible areas for protein and energy crops and Hill Farm Allowances, now enables users to submit their forms on-line and obtain an immediate submission receipt. This means that, for forms submitted before the 15 May deadline, the user can be confident RPA has received them on time.

The SPS Planner software has been used by Lilburn Estates and Whitbread Farms, amongst hundreds of other farm businesses, for many years. One of its key benefits is that it can help improve the accuracy of returns and minimise errors.

"This new enhancement will be a valuable addition for many farms. Claimants could significantly reduce their workload using this electronic channel," commented Neil Unitt, managing director of Farmplan.