Mid Tier Offers

bankrupt · Jan 21, 2017

Flintstone said:
I've been in Mid Tier for 12 months, and haven't been paid a penny yet!!

Time was, Flintstone, when the HMRC would set off overdue payments against tax due.

Sadly, according to the FBS, 90% of us wheat growers failed to profit from the 2015 crop, so not nearly enough tax will be due next week to set off against the RPA.

Fortunately, I'm in the bottom 3%.

https://www.fginsight.com/news/more-than-90-per-cent-fail-to-profit-from-winter-wheat-17695

L P · Jan 22, 2017

Flintstone said:
It's supposed to be 6 monthly.

After the first 6 months I was told that they had changed the 'agreed' payment timings and that it would be another 6 months before I saw the first payment. That was 13 months ago.

Looking at rpa website it looks like your payment isn't overdue until the end of this month... and then your next one is due for payment from the 1st Feb until 6 months later again... It's a farce, nobody else is allowed to run with such vague rules. 500 odd pages of strict rules we must abide by and yet the rules they must abide by could be packed into a post-it note...

Two Tone · Jan 22, 2017

We used an agent for our application, himself a former Natural England worker. I spoke with him the other day and he told me that NE are experiencing a computer glitch, but that we should hear from them by the end of Jan. I'll believe it when see it.

He also told me that if accepted, we will not get the 1st payment for 12 months (ie Jan 2018), but will get them every 6 months from then on. So the last payment will will be 6 months after the end of the 5 year agreement.

Worse still, we haven't got our 2016 BPS yet because we had a mapping inspection in Sept 2015. That inspection showed nothing wrong, but they have amalgamated some woodlands that were shown as separate parcels.

I did get an email from NE just before Christmas with regards these amalgamations, which shows that at least they are doing something. They have amended our application to include this amalgamation.

Previous experience with NE have been good and I have found them incredibly helpful when compared to Defra.

bankrupt · Jan 22, 2017

Lord Peasemore said:
It's a farce, nobody else is allowed to run with such vague rules.

You've even got me worried now, Lord Peasemore.

We're currently in for 25k of capital works with them and, given 2016's embarrassingly low wheat yields here, I would certainly not enjoy a delay of six months, nor even one of two or three months, come to that.

L P · Jan 22, 2017

Have a look at section 7.1 in the mid tier manual, it's very vague, says you must submit your claim for capital grants before 15th May, also can submit claims mid agreement and they will pay it direct to your bank account, nowhere does it state payment terms are any different to the rest of the agreement which is submit by mid may, payment 6mths after June then balance payment by the next January, so I guess worst case you wait 11 months to get paid if you start now. I may however be wrong.... personally I won't do anything I can't afford to front up for for the next 12 months, you can always do half the capital work, submit a claim and then do the other half once paid for the first lot... not much cop if it's fencing or buildings though!

bankrupt · Jan 22, 2017

Lord Peasemore said:
Have a look at section 7.1 in the mid tier manual

And also section 8.2, which came out after we signed up.

8.2

The Grant will be paid directly to the Agreement Holder’s nominated business bank account via BACS transfer by the Paying Agency, subject to the necessary funds being available when the payment falls due. The Agreement Holder agrees and accepts that payment of the Grant can only be made to the extent that the funds are available. Countryside Stewardship Manual: Woodland Creation Grant 2017 6th December 2016.

L P · Jan 22, 2017

bankrupt said:
And also section 8.2, which came out after we signed up.

8.2

The Grant will be paid directly to the Agreement Holder’s nominated business bank account via BACS transfer by the Paying Agency, subject to the necessary funds being available when the payment falls due. The Agreement Holder agrees and accepts that payment of the Grant can only be made to the extent that the funds are available. Countryside Stewardship Manual: Woodland Creation Grant 2017 6th December 2016.

I think they have to notify you of any funding changes or shortages so you would have had a letter

bankrupt · Jan 23, 2017

Lord Peasemore said:
I think they have to notify you of any funding changes or shortages

It seems to me, Lord Peasemore, that with a 2016 capital-works-only scheme such as mine, to be completed in 2017, the optimum strategy will now be for us to make the largest possible number of small interim claims, each at the very first possible legitimate opportunity, in order to minimize the risk of catching NE out of funds.

Sid · Jan 23, 2017

My CSS application has been delayed due to computer issues but i should here something....soon?!

carpenter1 · Jan 23, 2017

i emailed last week asking when i would hear, they have know told me i would hear by end of march

Feldspar · Jan 23, 2017

carpenter1 said:
i emailed last week asking when i would hear, they have know told me i would hear by end of march

What?! That's ages away. Ridiculous.

carpenter1 · Jan 23, 2017

i know, how the f*** can i plan things

carpenter1 · Jan 23, 2017

i have been told its a valid claim, but waiting to be imputed in to the computer

Feldspar · Feb 8, 2017

Has there been any more update on Mid Tier offers?

I was reasonably tolerant of their initial delays, but this is now becoming quite annoying.

Two Tone · Feb 8, 2017

Feldspar said:
Has there been any more update on Mid Tier offers?

I was reasonably tolerant of their initial delays, but this is now becoming quite annoying.

To say the least!

S J H · Feb 8, 2017

Feldspar said:
Has there been any more update on Mid Tier offers?

I was reasonably tolerant of their initial delays, but this is now becoming quite annoying.

I phoned on Friday, and they were sending out offers then.

I got the feeling that they didn't think that they still needed to compare the applications because of the low uptake, but I think they still needed to do it.

TomB · Feb 8, 2017

S J H said:
I phoned on Friday, and they were sending out offers then.

I got the feeling that they didn't think that they still needed to compare the applications because of the low uptake, but I think they still needed to do it.

I had heard that also, should get an agreement if you applied and jumped through most of the hoops. Time they got on with it tho.

But have the 2016 agreements been paid yet? Will be fairly mad if I have to wait too long for payment on capital items. £15k+

S J H · Feb 8, 2017

TomB said:
I had heard that also, should get an agreement if you applied and jumped through most of the hoops. Time they got on with it tho.

But have the 2016 agreements been paid yet? Will be fairly mad if I have to wait too long for payment on capital items. £15k+

I think the RPA are holding mine up, because I've never claimed BPS on the field parcels

carpenter1 · Feb 8, 2017

i emailed them last week as i am feed up, they said before end of march
land agent phoned me on monday to talk about the bps, they are claiming is not valid, but is. he told me i would hear by end of feb about stewardship.

so only one person on here has heard?

T Hectares · Feb 8, 2017

I submitted an application in September.
I was told I needed signatures from all the Partners, which wasn't originally asked for in the application, in December.
I have been asked for some further evidence, photos of bits and bob's etc last week.
Think they must be close, but it's not a great start, and very late considering the schemes been under subscribed.

Same old same old....

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