Latest update on RPW services affected by the coronavirus.
General advice (updated 4th April)
We have published advice and information on coronavirus for:
- individuals
- employers and business
- the social, community and residential care sector
- the education sector
This advice can be found at https://gov.wales/coronavirus.
The Wales Farm Support Group has launched new online resource hub. The FarmWell Wales website contains up-to-date information. This will help to keep you and your farm business strong through these changing times.
RPW recognises this situation is evolving quickly with advice likely to change at short notice. We will look to make decisions whilst taking into account all official advice at that time.
Please note all our staff are now working from home. We will continue to make sure customer service is maintained. There will inevitably be some impact on our ability to respond quickly. We appreciate your patience and understanding at this difficult and challenging time.
Customer contact centre (updated 4th April)
The RPW customer contact centre is open as normal for telephone enquiries. The opening hours are:
- Monday to Thursday 8.30am to 5pm
- Friday 8.30am to 4.30pm
The service is currently limited to calls about SAF, and other application or claim deadlines. All other enquiries should be submitted in writing via RPW Online.
Digital assistance appointments
Face to face SAF 2020 digital assistance appointments have been suspended. If you need help to complete your online SAF or other applications or claims, please contact us:
- RPW Customer Contact Centre: 0300 062 5004
Staff are also available to answer telephone calls and enquiries received via RPW Online.
Extension to SAF 2020 submission deadline (updated 4th April)
We plan to introduce legislation to extend the SAF submission deadline to 15 June 2020. This change will also apply to the Commons Application form.
The date for late submission and the associated late penalties will also be extended to 30 June 2020. The date to respond to preliminary check letters will be extended to 20 July 2020.
These date changes will be applied to the RPW online system shortly.
All other dates remain applicable and can be found in the SAF rules booklet. Please see below regarding entitlements transfers.
You should notify the RPW customer contact centre immediately:
- if you are unable to access broadband
- if you are unable to access an appropriate computer
- to submit the online SAF by the new deadline.
The Customer Contact Centre and Farm Liaison Service can talk you through the process, in conjunction with the SAF: How to Complete Guide.
SAF 2020 supporting documents (updated 4th April)
All SAF 2020 supporting documents must be submitted by the new date of 15 June 2020.
We will accept all SAF 2020 supporting documents uploaded onto RPW Online, including:
- geo-tagged photos
- scanned and photographed documents.
You should notify us using RPW Online or the customer contact centre immediately if you are unable to submit any SAF supporting documents by the deadline. By doing this, you will be able to submit those documents you cannot upload after the deadline of 15 June 2020.
If you do not notify RPW that you will submit documents after the deadline, those documents will not be considered.
Extension of Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) 2020 entitlement transfer period (updated 4th April)
The application period to transfer BPS Entitlements by sale, gift or lease has been extended to midnight on 15 May 2020. This is in line with the date that you must have land “at your disposal” to be eligible for BPS.
Please refer to the BPS Trading of Entitlements guidance for information on how to notify us of a Transfer of Entitlements.
Crop diversification (updated 4th April)
We can confirm the removal of the crop diversification requirements for BPS 2020, due to the recent flooding and coronavirus. As a result of this change the two crop and three crop requirements will no longer apply to qualify for greening payments.
When completing the SAF, you may notice that crop diversification warning messages are displayed. These can be ignored. All other SAF warnings remain applicable and ignoring them may affect your payment.
Removal of crop diversification requirements also means there is no longer a need to submit seed labels with your SAF.
BPS customers can still qualify for greening payment as a result of permanent pasture and Ecological Focus Area (EFA) declarations only. It is important to note the EFA requirements still apply, as set out in the SAF rules booklet.
BPS, Glastir Entry and advanced support schemes (updated 4th April)
In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic we have re-opened the Support Schemes to farm businesses which:
- have not received either a full BPS/Glastir 2019 payment, or
- a 2019 Support Scheme loan payment from the previous application window.
The application form is available on RPW Online for eligible customers only. Terms and conditions can be accessed there too. A Broadcast Message has been sent to all customers eligible to apply. The closing date for applications is 17 April, and loan payments will be made week commencing 4 May 2020.
If, due to UK Government Stay at Home guidelines, you are unable to submit a Support Scheme application online, you can ring the RPW Customer Contact Centre. Staff will explain the terms and conditions and accept an application over the phone.
Outstanding 2019 BPS and Glastir claims (updated 4th April)
RPW is doing all it can to process all remaining 2019 claims by the end of the EC payment window of June 2020. Please be assured that RPW staff will continue to work hard to make sure that processing is maintained whilst working from home.
Other claim and application deadlines
All application windows and claim deadlines currently remain unchanged.
You should notify the RPW customer contact centre immediately:
- if you are unable to access broadband
- if you are unable to access an appropriate computer
to submit claim supporting documents by the deadline.
Attendance at a Farming for the Future event is a requirement for the Farm Business Grant. Only farmers who:
- registered to attend with Farming Connect by 9am, 17 March, or
- attended a previous event
will be considered eligible to submit an Expression of Interest.
Glastir Small Grants geotagged photos
The Glastir Small Grants Landscape and Pollinators 2019 claim deadline was 31 May 2020.
Under cross compliance regulations, all hedge restoration (hedge coppicing and hedge laying) works must be completed by 31 March 2020.
‘Before’ and ‘After’ geotagged photographs must be submitted by the claim deadline. There is no requirement to submit geotagged photographs dated before 31 March to evidence this.
You should notify the RPW Customer Contact Centre if you are unable to submit geo-tagged photographs by the claim deadline.
Inspections and in-situ administrative checks
We will not be starting new inspections or in-situ administrative checks, until Government advice is updated. We are considering alternatives to the in-situ requirements, which are required to release payments.
Glastir Small Grants – Landscape and Pollinators 2019
The deadline to complete and claim for the works within Glastir Small Grants, Landscape and Pollinators Contract(s) has been extended until 30 September 2020.
GAEC 7 of the Cross Compliance regulations does not permit any hedgerow restoration works from 1 April to 31 August. No Glastir Small Grants hedge coppicing and hedge laying works can be carried out during this period.
All main and support capital works items scheduled within your contract(s) must be completed and claimed by 30 September 2020.