Rural Payments Agency begins mailing the new Uplands Transitional Payment booklet  
 
The Hill Farm Allowance (HFA) will be succeeded by a new uplands strand to Environmental Stewardship, Uplands Entry Level Stewardship, in 2010 as per the Secretary of State’s announcement in December 2008.

This scheme will be run by Natural England and is open to all farmers with land in Severely Disadvantaged Areas (SDA). Farmers can submit applications from early 2010, with agreements starting from July 2010.

Farmers who already have a Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS) or Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) agreement that ends later than 2010 will not be able to join Uplands Entry Level Stewardship (Uplands ELS) for that year until their existing agreement expires. Instead they may be eligible to receive the Uplands Transitional Payment (UTP) until their existing Countryside Stewardship Scheme or Environmentally Sensitive Areas agreement ends.

If you think you may be eligible for the Uplands Transitional Payment from 2011, you must have claimed for Hill Farm Allowance 2010. If you didn’t send RPA a claim for Hill Farm Allowance 2010, you will not be eligible for the Uplands Transitional Payment at any time in the future.

RPA has started mailing the Uplands Transitional Payment explanatory booklet to all those Hill Farm Allowance claimants we think may be eligible to receive the payment. If you think you are eligible to receive the Uplands Transitional Payment, but have not received a copy of the booklet by 4 January 2010, you should request one by calling RPA’s customer service centre on 0845 603 7777. Alternatively, an electronic copy can be downloaded by clicking on the link below.



Claimants are strongly encouraged to read the handbook in conjunction with the Single Payment Scheme (SPS) 2010 handbook.

If you are intending to claim for the Uplands Transitional Payment, the application is made on the Single Payment Scheme 2010 application form. You must ensure RPA receives your application no later than 17 May 2010.
Applications received after 17 May 2010, but before midnight on 11 June 2010, will be accepted but penalties will be applied. Any applications received after 11 June 2010 will be rejected.

Notes to editors

1. Payment rates for the Uplands Transitional Payment will be published on RPA’s website as soon as they have been announced.
2. RPA is an executive agency of the Department for Environmental, 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.