Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) claims not paid in full: FOI release

Information requested

 

Questions relating to the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) answered below.

Response

 

1.   How many applications for Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) claims have not been paid in full for the following years: 2015, 2016 and 2017 and what are the reasons for non-payment?

 

that have shown a breach of scheme rules may also have to rectify these before payments can be made. We will continue to make progress with processing outstanding applications. The current figure of 49, at around 0.002% of the total, is fairly typical for this time in the payment year.

 

2.   How many hectares / value of claims applied for under the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) have not been paid for 2015, 2016 and 2017 (relating to question 1 above)?

 

No BPS claims still needing paid for 2015.

For Claim years 2016 and 2017, the values are not final due to these claims being under active assessment/ review.

While our aim is to provide information whenever possible, in this instance the Scottish Government does not have the information you have requested for years 2016 and 2017. 

The reasons why we don’t have the information are explained in the Annex to this letter.

 

3.   How many Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) claims were rejected in 2015, 2016 and 2017 and what were the main reasons for the rejections?

 

In 2015, the base year of the 2014-2020 CAP, there were multiple routes to entitlements and many businesses were no longer entitled to payments under the new Regulations. It is not possible to quantify how many of these were in effect “rejected” as against those that were not eligible. In this instance, the Scottish Government therefore does not have the information you have requested for the year 2015.

The cases listed below failed under the Application to the National Reserve and thus were not allocated payment entitlements and in effect rejected for Basic Payment Scheme.

2016	248
2017	183

 

4.   How many BPS applications for 2015, 2016 and 2017 are in dispute by claimants (for example, applications at appeal stage / at court)?

 

The figures below cover Schemes BPS, ENT, National Reserve, SAF:

2015	124
2016	40
2017	39

While the number of disputes may increase, this still represents less than 0.01% of applications in each Scheme year.

 

5.   How many post payment challenges have to date been received by RPID for the following claim years: 2015, 2016, and 2017 (requesting a formal review under the appeals process)

 

This is the same as question 4 as a review is only valid following a reduction, refusal, recovery or postponement of a payment

 

6.   Of those received how many remain unresolved/are outstanding?

 

We do not hold this information, but there are 35 review requests that have so far been assessed as valid and are under active consideration. 

 

7.   How many formal complaints has RPID received for BPS since 2015 and how many remain outstanding and what was the success rate of these formal challenges?

 

The SG Complaints Handling Procedure (CHP) is a route for individuals to raise complaints concerning the Scottish Government’s service standards, and is not a route by which to seek to alter CAP payments or to challenge application of the regulations. Accordingly, it is unlikely we would ever get a complaint specifically about BPS. A small number of formal complaints (around 1/year) relating to the service customers have received in dealing with staff in Agriculture and Rural Economy, including perceived discourtesy, arrangements for inspections, or unclear/misleading advice or guidance, have been received during the years you specify.

 

ANNEX 

REASONS FOR NOT PROVIDING INFORMATION

 

The Scottish Government does not have the information

Section 17(1) of FOISA (information not held) requires the Scottish Government to notify you if it does not have the information you requested.  The Scottish Government does not have the information you have asked for because some of the data in your request is not held. For Question 2 the figures are not held in the form requested and are subject to significant change as cases are processed.

 

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