2008 Entitlements Statements FAQ
Published: 12/01/09
Q1) How can I check whether my Entitlements Statement is correct?
A) Sections F and G of the Entitlements Statement Guidance booklet sent with your statement provides information on how to calculate your entitlement. An electronic calculator is also available on the RPA website: www.rpa.gov.uk. Follow the link to ‘Single Payment Scheme’ then click on ‘Entitlements’.
Q2) When will I receive payment for sugar support?
A) From 2007 onwards, the sugar support has been incorporated into the value of your entitlements and forms part of your SPS payment. Please see the electronic entitlements calculator on the RPA website for details of how this has been calculated. You will not receive a separate sugar payment for 2007 onwards.
Q3) I don’t have/can’t find the letter you sent confirming a transfer of entitlements; can you tell me what was transferred?
A) You should contact the Customer Service Centre on 0845 603 7777, they will then issue a new letter or an updated statement.
Q4) I cannot find my 2007 Entitlements Statement to compare with 2008 to see if there is a difference, what can I do?
A).You should contact the Customer Service Centre and request a duplicate copy of your 2007 Entitlements Statement. If you think your 2007 Entitlements Statement was incorrect you should write to RPA explaining what you think is wrong.
Q5) I think the ‘use-by dates’ on my Entitlements Statement are incorrect.
A) If you think the use-by dates are wrong, you should write to us giving full details of why you think they are wrong. Please send your correspondence to the address shown below including your SBI, name of business and scheme year.
However, following the EU CAP Health Check, English Reserve entitlements are being changed to normal entitlements for the 2009 scheme year and so will not have to be used in 2009 (the use-by date will be changed on our IT system later in the year, once we have changed the entitlements to normal entitlements).
See Question 10 for details of changes to the usage rules for normal entitlements which will apply from 2010.
For 2008 we have activated your entitlements in the following order:
As many set-aside entitlements as possible will be activated first, and then:
- National Reserve entitlements, with the highest value entitlement being used first;
- Normal entitlements, with the highest value entitlement being used first;
- Special entitlements, only whole entitlements are activated in ascending order of value (a requirement of the Commission Regulations)
The relevant SPS handbook and guidance explained what to do if you did not want your entitlements activated in this way. For example, if you activated/claimed against a normal entitlement in 2008 the use-by date will show 2011 (2008 plus 3 years = 2011). If you did not activate the entitlement in 2008 it will show an earlier scheme year. English Reserve entitlements will show a use-by date of the next scheme year, as they have had to be activated every year to keep their National Reserve status and value.
Q6) Why has the value of my entitlements changed since my 2007 Entitlements Statement?
A) The value of entitlements is recalculated each year as we move towards a flat rate value for entitlements. The flat rate area payment is being introduced over an 8-year period, with the historic element of your entitlement values being reduced accordingly. In some circumstances the correction of entitlements will also have changed 2008 entitlements values, and the figures shown on your 2008 Entitlements Statement should reflect this.
Q7) When will I receive my 2008 Entitlements Statement?
A) RPA are planning to send out the majority of 2008 Entitlements Statements in January and February 2009. If you have not received your 2008 Entitlements Statement or a letter about your Entitlements Statement by the end of February, please see the guidance below.
Q8) Why is the total number of entitlements shown on my 2008 Entitlements Statement different from my 2007 statement?
A) Your Entitlements Statement may not show the same number of entitlements as your 2007 statement if:
- you have transferred entitlements in, or out, of your business;
- you have not met the three-year usage rule for Normal or Set-aside entitlements (in this case the entitlements will have reverted to the National Reserve);
- you have not met the annual usage rule for National Reserve entitlements (in this case the National Reserve top up element of your entitlements will have reverted to the National Reserve); or
- your entitlements have been corrected.
If you disagree with the total number of entitlements shown on your 2008 Entitlements Statement, you should write to us giving full details of why you think they are wrong. Please send your correspondence to the address shown below, including your SBI, name of business and scheme year.
Additional FAQ regarding the expiry of entitlements
Q9) What are expired entitlements?
A) This is when entitlements have not been activated (claimed on) in the required usage period and as a result have been withdrawn and allocated to the National Reserve.
Q10) Will the usage rules be changing as part of the CAP Health Check?
A) SPS 2009 scheme year
Normal entitlements currently have to be activated for payment at least once every three years, otherwise they are lost to the National Reserve. This will still apply for the 2009 scheme year.
SPS 2010 scheme year
From the 2010 scheme year, you will have to activate your entitlements for payment at least once every two years. However, entitlements activated in 2007 but not in 2008 or 2009 will not be lost to the National Reserve as long as they are activated for payment in 2010. This means that in 2010 you will need to activate any entitlements that were last activated in 2007 or 2008 to avoid losing them to the National Reserve.
|