This week the Department of Agriculture have issued letters providing Single Farm Payment (SFP) claimants with the opportunity to have their SFP entitlements recalculated to exclude ineligible land which was claimed on in 2005 when the SFP system was introduced.
The interpretation of what type of land is eligible for SFP has changed since this scheme was first implemented in 2005 with DARD’s revision of land eligibility in 2007 causing many difficulties.
Many SFP claimants had claimed on land in 2005 which was subsequently clarified as being ineligible. This meant that in some cases individual’s historic payments were initially spread across more entitlements than what is now considered to be eligible land, which meant that they were not able to draw down all of their entitlements and consequently lost considerable amounts of SFP since then.
The opportunity being provided by Minister O’Neill to all current SFP entitlement holders would allow these individual historic funds to be reallocated to currently eligible land only provided that it is recognised by the claimant and subsequently confirmed by DARD that the land now being excluded was ineligible in 2005.
recalculate
DARD would then recalculate the SFP entitlements and would pay out any additional funding associated with the unclaimed historic element of the SFP but would also recover any excess payments of the area element of entitlements which had already been made on this ineligible land.
The UFU would advise that each individual weighs up the possible financial gains and losses associated with this recalculation opportunity before deciding on whether or not to proceed as everyone’s circumstances will be different.
The UFU consider that there is no benefit in applying if:
1. You have more eligible land than entitlements i.e. each year you are able to claim on all your entitlements.
2. You are a landowner who had no historic payments i.e. you only receive the flat rate area payment of €78.33/ha.
3. You have already had your entitlements recalculated following a land inspection or a reported ineligible land mapping change before 31 December 2009.
The UFU are available to help members with this process. The closing date for applications is 6 September.
(Source – Farming Life – 27/07/2013)
County Down Countryside Near Dromara