BPS15 NI

[George 903]

I know how u must feel. I felt totally sick after l heard my result but do as l have been advised on this forum (alex04 gave some good advice ) and get your appeal in .Dont know what the result will be but can only try.

 

[1594mac]

So who applied for 2016 that has been refused active farmer status?

 

[Hard Graft]

I have

 

[1594mac]

I did as well the best laugh was I was told as I wasn't active I had to apply on paper! Not online I did it online anyhow however I had to add the fields as they didn't pre populate as before all very strange! I applied on 2016 as still no decision on 2015! They told me I had to no one mentioned a hard copy application!

 

[Boohoo]

Wasn't able to apply online and never thought of a paper application. The deadline has passed now hasn't it?

 

[alex04w]

I applied. Online was available to me - I have done it that way for the last three or four years.

The funny bit (if anything in the total mess is funny) is the warning at the end that you have no entitlements!

The other oddity was that you could have made a fresh application in 2016 and applied to the National Reserve for the award of entitlements! Of course you would have to go through the 'active farmer test' again, instead of the 'appeal against the 2015 decision' route.

 

[1594mac]

Right so if you could reapply the following year why is it so difficult to sort out! I thought if you were said to be inactive then it was permanent. a lot of messing about and lack of communication it seems

 

[1594mac]

i didn't get any warning about having no entitlements! Smooth operating system

 

[alex04w]

Wasn't able to apply online and never thought of a paper application. The deadline has passed now hasn't it?

On the farming news on BBC Radio Ulster this morning there was a discussion on BPS applications. It should be available online.

They said that applications can still be made up to the end of the month, but they are subject to a penalty of 1% for each day its late.

So get an apllication in. Better to loose 5% or 10% than 100%.

 

[alex04w]

The Irish Farmers Journal of 2nd July 2016 has an update on the number of farmers rejected under the 'active' farmer test for BPS in 2015 and the number of appeals.

Approximately 3,000 applications for BPS in 2015 were pulled for checks on whether or not the applicant was an 'active' farmer.

1,638 were rejected as not meeting the requirements in the opinion of the Department.

855 of the 1,638 rejected applicants have appealed the decision.

To date 28 of those appeals have been considered and in 10 cases the original decision has been reversed and the applicant has been accepted as 'active'.

23,753 applicants deemed eligible have been paid and 88 applicants deemed eligible are still waiting to be paid. The reasons given for the non payment of the 88 include missing bank account details, estates held up in probate and disputes between business members.

My application was rejected and I have appealed it. I am not going to say too much as the appeal is still on going, but I can say that following the exchange of a few letters, it is clear that the Department is guilty of mal-administration on a number of fronts. As soon as my appeal is heard / finalised I will up date you all.

 

[1594mac]

How's the whole thing going now? Any success?

 

[1594mac]

Just a wee update my non active farmer status has been overturned and now active so things are back on track.

 

[Hill211]

Our non active farmer status was overturned this week and we are now deemed active and finally waiting on payment thankfully. All I can say to anyone still waiting in the appeal process is contact your local MEP, farmers union rep and Rural Support NI. There is light at the end of a very dark tunnel

 

[Boohoo]

Given up on 2015, department have rejected the appeal, they are still saying that there is a duplicate claim. Eagerly await the excuses for rejecting the 2016 application.

 

[alex04w]

Glad to see there is movement on this issue.

I have been corresponding with them all summer and am seeing some movement on their part - just not enough yet on the main issue of whether or not I am active!

I do have them in a tight position at present as they have issued me two letters that are completely contradictory! A reply to my query for clarification is well overdue. I almost have sympathy with them as they are between a rock and a hard place as I have a claim against them irrespective of which letter they say is correct!

Sorry to be a bit cryptic, but I will post full details once I get it sorted.

I do see my case going the whole way to the Ombudsman over their shambolic administration and contradictory letters.

 

[Hill211]

Just a wee update my non active farmer status has been overturned and now active so things are back on track.

Ours was overturned thankfully as well but now waiting on payment! Have you received yours yet? If so how long did it take to come through?

 

[1594mac]

Good news it within a month or 6 weeks from memory

 

[alex04w]

I still have not received my 2015 payment, but have now been notified that I will received a 70% advance on my 2016 payment this week.

The Department is in a complete mess over this. My appeal is still on-going and should come to a head soon.

 

[The Agrarian]

70% of my euros landed yesterday. No postal notification as yet.

 

[Sweepa]

I still have not received my 2015 payment, but have now been notified that I will received a 70% advance on my 2016 payment this week.

The Department is in a complete mess over this. My appeal is still on-going and should come to a head soon.

Why the delayed payments? im expecting my 2016 payments next week. As are most young farmers i think.