Go online to view SPS entitlements, says RPA

The Rural Payments Agency has urged more farmers to register online in order to get early confirmation of the number and value of their 2010 single payment entitlements.

SPS 2010 Entitlement Statements and guidance will be published on SPS Online by 8 December, but paper copies won’t go out until after mid-December.

Farmers can go online even if they applied using a paper form this year, although the RPA acknowledged not everyone would be able to access online statements due to ongoing work on some claims – in these cases statements would be made available in both formats once work was completed.

“This year more than 15% of claims were received online and we hope these new services will encourage even more people to apply online next year,” Stephen Briggs, RPA’s customer director, said.

“Improvements in the RPA’s electronic services are part of our ongoing commitment to manage our processes efficiently and effectively. Doing this means we can provide a better service to our farmers and help reduce the cost of processing SPS applications.”

Users can access SPS Online via the “RPA Online” link on the Whole Farm Approach website: www.wholefarm.defra.gov.uk. To register, users need a PIN number provided by RPA and a Government Gateway login.

To get a new PIN or more information visit the RPA website or call 0845 603 7777.