Buying land entitlements - SPS

C

case895

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 May 2008
Messages
3,167
Visit site
We recently bought a property with several acres of land attached and want to start claiming under the Single Payment Scheme. We have registered with DEFRA to get a Single Business Identifier (SBI) and have submitted an RLE1 form to register the land.

Do we need to buy the entitlements as a separate step (e.g. through a land agent), or is submitting the RLE1 form all we need to do? If so, how do we find out who owns the entitlements, or are they part of the "National Registry"?

I tried phoning the Rural Payments Agency advice line, but to be honest, I might as well have asked my horse for all the help they were!
 
If you have no entitlements you would have to buy them but I'd take specialist advice whether its worth doing this as things are changing. Not that I am an expert but that's my understanding.
 
Try the RPA again, depends who you get at the other end of the phone. I've had helpful and not so helpful staff answer. Can't imagine the handouts will continue for long. I'm sure it will be only available to those with hundreds of hectares as they are paying out huge sums to land owners with only small areas of land.
 
You would have to buy them but TBH they for a small number of acres it may well not be worth it as they are cutting the standard payments significantly in the coming years.
Unless you can change the land's use to earn higher level stewardship schemes and even these aren't as profitably as they used to be.
Talk to an agent to see what they would cost you but also do lots of research on what you will get back before you hand over any cash!
 
Unless you own the entitlements you would have to buy them but, that would only be if the person that has them wishes to sell, as it stands they can claim the payments if they have the entitlements while you still own the land.

I think the rules on that are about to change I think the only way in the future you will be able to claim the payments are if you are the person farming or using the land in the specified way, I am not sure how it is going to work for people who own the land but dont have the entitlements whether they will have to buy them back or they will automatically go back to them.
 
I bought my entiltlements from webbpaton.co.uk wooton basset wilts,helpfull talked it through and got the best prices.
Remember you can only do this on fields that are grazed only not grass paths and roads,sandschools etc and field size must be at lease 0.4 hectre other wise you will not get the grant although you have bought the entitlements.
 
Unless the Entitlements were specifically included in the sale - and surely this would have been mentioned in the paperwork/by the agent/your solicitor - you would have to buy them. As to whether it is worth it, well you would have to work it out because there is constant talk about everything being altered within the next couple of years or so but no one really knows what the new regime will mean.
 
I could probably claim ovr £1,000 per annum for my land but for all the hassle, red tape, and dealing with the jobsworths at the RPID, it is not worth the hassle. At least I can now complain about their total incompetence without having them on my doorstep wanting to carry out inspections without giving notice! Don't get me started!:rolleyes:
 
I used to claim and receive SPS but then they changed the rules and so I no longer qualified as my acreage is too small.

But they still send me thick wads of forms each year asking me to claim. One year I filled them in and sent them back in case I was missing the point and did qualify and they wrote back and told me my acreage is too small.

They've continued to send me the thick wads of forms each year. Got this year's last week. It's handy for using as firelighters in the lounge grate..
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top