RPA MAKES FMD HILL FARM SCHEME PAYMENTS
RPA has now paid the bulk of the £8.5m of payments to English hill farmers as part of the Foot and Mouth disease package of measures announced by the Secretary of State on 8 October 2007.
Payments are being made to all 9300 individuals who are eligible for payments under the Hill Farm Allowance Scheme for 2007 and is equivalent to 32% of their individual HFA 2007 payment. To date, £7.4 million has been paid and RPA is aiming to complete all payments, including those to farmers whose HFA 2007 payment has not yet been finalised, by the end of December.
All eligible claimants of HFA 2007 will receive their FMD Hill Farm payment automatically and any individual who has not received any HFA 2007 payment yet will receive the FMD payment at the same time.
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Notes to Editors
1. The Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Hilary Benn announced a £12.5 million package of support for farmers in England affected by the movement restrictions put in place to control Foot-and-Mouth Disease (FMD). The package includes £8.5m in the form of a one off payment for hill farmers which RPA will be making through the Hill Farm Allowance (HFA) 2007 payment system. This payment will not affect the 2008 HFA payments or budget. The following DEFRA link will explain some of the background and guidance to the aid scheme.
www.defra.gov.uk/footandmouth/movements/hillfarmers.htm
2. RPA is an Executive Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), providing a range of key services in support of the department’s objectives, including making rural payments, carrying out rural inspections, and livestock tracing.
3. The HFA is administered by RPA on behalf of Defra as part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). Details about the HFA can be found at www.defra.gov.uk/erdp/schemes/hfa/default.htm
4. Media only contact: RPA Media Relations Manager Emily Teller on 01189 687 680. Customers can contact: RPA Customer Service Centre on 0845 603 7777.
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