what has the NFU ever done for us?

[B&B Pig Man]

So now becomes a challenge to the mods of TFF.
A potentially libellous claim has been made against the largest farmers organisation in the UK!

I am sure @gone up the hill is fully aware of the consequences that may arise due to the libellous nature of anything he posts on a public forum, and is happy to produce evidence to back up his claims should the need arise.

 

[Flasheart]

We were covered by them when that happened yes and the way their loss adjusters handled that claim so badly, took ages to pay out and screwed prices down and etc was pretty much the final straw of acceot we paid more for a “premium service”.

The replacement company (f&m) has saved us over 20k pa in premiums and what claims we have had have been handled much better to date.

It’s a complete myth that they are “better” than others in my experience so certainly not worthy of a premium price but they do like to scare customers about how their competition dont pay out so well !

Not my experience at all. 2 years ago after many years with a broker( deceased fathers friend) I asked F & M and NF U mutual to quote. F & M came in a few quid cheaper NFU saved me £3k

 

[Old Boar]

I will tell you a little tale about NFU Mutual. I had a cast iron case of medical negligence - the surgeon forgot to tie the renal artery when I had a kidney removed, and I bled out. I had legal insurance through NFU. I was told I could only use a solicitor of their choice, well they chose a complete numpty, who agreed that it was my fault that the surgeon forgot to tie the artery as "I had made my artery go into spasm". There was a lot more I could have sued the hospital for but the solicitor just could not be bothered. It took her two years to get my full file, she just was not interested and I had to do most of the pushing. I was later told by a QC that I had lost out big time.
Even if they offered me free insurance, I would not use them.

 

[opininionated]

Hi Honeyend, I'm not sure if the person who came to see you was an insurance salesperson from the Mutual (in which case they wouldn't try to explain the benefits of joining the Union) or someone from the Union (who wouldn't be able to give you an insurance quote).

However if you want to put your query on line here I'm sure someone will be in touch shorty!

Please get somebody to proof read the message from our president, on the link you provided, I know its only a typo, but it needs fixing...

 

[gone up the hill]

I am sure @gone up the hill is fully aware of the consequences that may arise due to the libellous nature of anything he posts on a public forum, and is happy to produce evidence to back up his claims should the need arise.

NFU refused to help me with my many BPS problems, I wish that wasn't the case and they had helped me but sadly they wouldn't.

If the NFU had helped me with my BPS issues I would say that on here, I cannot say that they have done something when they haven't done it.

I have no doubt that they have helped many members with their BPS problems but that doesn't mean that they help every member as some on TFF seem to be implying.

 

[gone up the hill]

I will tell you a little tale about NFU Mutual. I had a cast iron case of medical negligence - the surgeon forgot to tie the renal artery when I had a kidney removed, and I bled out. I had legal insurance through NFU. I was told I could only use a solicitor of their choice, well they chose a complete numpty, who agreed that it was my fault that the surgeon forgot to tie the artery as "I had made my artery go into spasm". There was a lot more I could have sued the hospital for but the solicitor just could not be bothered. It took her two years to get my full file, she just was not interested and I had to do most of the pushing. I was later told by a QC that I had lost out big time.
Even if they offered me free insurance, I would not use them.

NFU mutual have always been very good to deal with in my experience when it comes to insurance/ making claims etc.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Please get somebody to proof read the message from our president, on the link you provided, I know its only a typo, but it needs fixing...

'out membership remains high'

 

[Dr Evil]

Nothing will come of it even of you investigate.

One of the reasons I quit the NFU was because they refused to help me and when I asked why the response was : If your claim isn't over 80k we wont help.

Turned out this was what they were telling farmers up and down the country who had claims less than 80k who were looking for help.

Utter bullocks. I worked for the NFU for a good few years, and assisted filling thousands of BPS claims, and a good few appeals- a very small proportion of which would have been anywhere near £80k- in fact the vast majority of forms I saw, would be from smaller farms, who weren’t as proficient/experienced as some larger farms. In fact I remember filling in BPS applications which had no monertary claim whatsoever. I can’t once remember myself or a colleague turning down a request for help. I don’t know you or your issues personally, but I do remember on an odd occasion telling a member they were “flogging a dead horse” for want of a better phrase.

You will have the same contact for both your insurance and NFU membership.

This is the problem, the NFU union should have membership officer's in each country who are the first point of contact for members, be that to renew or put the member in the right direction to the person they need if they are looking for help from the NFU union on a particular problem.

Amazing how many farmers still believe that they have to be NFU members to insure with the NFU mutual.

You are very well aware of the fact there’s a county advisor, to who the group secretaries report, in each county, carrying out the exact role you are bemoaning.

 

[Dr Evil]

Only claims approved directly by HQ at Stoneleigh would be allowed to be given any help.

You do spout some rubbish.

 

[Clive]

Not my experience at all. 2 years ago after many years with a broker( deceased fathers friend) I asked F & M and NF U mutual to quote. F & M came in a few quid cheaper NFU saved me £3k

Can only speak from personal experience but today I have over 40k more in my pocket than I would have had if I hadn’t got other quotes 2 years ago and I certainly have felt like I have no less cover or any different level of service - I feel many years of unquestionable loyalty by my family had been well and trully taken advantage of

However the mutual and the NFU have no financial connection but many farmer seem unable to separate them as the individual entities they are - the way this thread has gone being a good example !

 

[tom]

Please get somebody to proof read the message from our president, on the link you provided, I know its only a typo, but it needs fixing...

'out membership remains high'

... well spotted

Fortunately In membership remains even higher; last year In the North West we had a net gain of 58 members and an increase of 9303 acres.

 

[MintSauce]

Hi All.

Reluctant to be the defender of the faith (and other clichés) on here... but having outed myself as an NFU member of staff...

I can only speak for NFU in the South West but I am pretty confident it's a similar picture elsewhere so I can say that:
We have about 8500 members in my patch and the average size of those memberships is around 140 acres give or take. If a member comes to me or a member of our team with a BPS query, we do our best to help. This ranges from helping to equip members with the skills and confidence to complete forms themselves, to check forms and help with completion, attending formal hearings where BPS or stewardship issues have failed to be resolved and so on. In fact, I know that there are some on this forum who have had help from me, or our County Advisers, Group Secretaries (though not all do this) and our excellent team at HQ - both within the BPS team and the unsung heroes in our CallFirst team who are quite brilliant - I'd urge all members to test them out from time to time on any topic where you need some advice.
We have referred members for advanced/hardship payments at times, helped them to write to MPs or others to get action on their specific circumstances and much much more. All this runs in parallel with the bigger picture stuff of lobbying for a better system, highlighting the ridiculous mapping errors etc etc - the stuff you would expect from a lobbying organisation.

As we get to the application window, I and my colleagues will be receiving calls from members with everything from advice on land use codes, advice on completing RLE1's and anything else you can possibly think of. In fact @gone up the hill - I'll be in an office up the road from you at the end of April helping members check their forms as there has been more demand than the County Adviser is able to keep up with.

However, it is worth saying that supporting members who have had a nightmare of a time with late payments, errors etc is not as easy as it once was when we could have a proper conversation with a locally based case officer.

I'm not sure where the comment about £80k claims comes from - I can only say that in my experience that seems like pure fantasy. Aside from the fact that there aren't many claims of that size in my part of the world anyway. And as for only helping "certain" members, I suspect the issue we have here is a tricky one about managing expectation and what is in the art of the possible within the current framework we have.

I'm afraid I don't check the forum very often so can't keep track of it all but thank you to all who have shared your experiences on this topic.

Finally - do all keep an eye out for our upcoming meetings in the region looking at the new Defra "Command Paper" consultation - this is your chance to help shape what comes next and ensure that the errors we have all had to deal with are put right in future schemes.

 

[exmoor dave]

Hi All.

Reluctant to be the defender of the faith (and other clichés) on here... but having outed myself as an NFU member of staff...

I can only speak for NFU in the South West but I am pretty confident it's a similar picture elsewhere so I can say that:
We have about 8500 members in my patch and the average size of those memberships is around 140 acres give or take. If a member comes to me or a member of our team with a BPS query, we do our best to help. This ranges from helping to equip members with the skills and confidence to complete forms themselves, to check forms and help with completion, attending formal hearings where BPS or stewardship issues have failed to be resolved and so on. In fact, I know that there are some on this forum who have had help from me, or our County Advisers, Group Secretaries (though not all do this) and our excellent team at HQ - both within the BPS team and the unsung heroes in our CallFirst team who are quite brilliant - I'd urge all members to test them out from time to time on any topic where you need some advice.
We have referred members for advanced/hardship payments at times, helped them to write to MPs or others to get action on their specific circumstances and much much more. All this runs in parallel with the bigger picture stuff of lobbying for a better system, highlighting the ridiculous mapping errors etc etc - the stuff you would expect from a lobbying organisation.

As we get to the application window, I and my colleagues will be receiving calls from members with everything from advice on land use codes, advice on completing RLE1's and anything else you can possibly think of. In fact @gone up the hill - I'll be in an office up the road from you at the end of April helping members check their forms as there has been more demand than the County Adviser is able to keep up with.

However, it is worth saying that supporting members who have had a nightmare of a time with late payments, errors etc is not as easy as it once was when we could have a proper conversation with a locally based case officer.

I'm not sure where the comment about £80k claims comes from - I can only say that in my experience that seems like pure fantasy. Aside from the fact that there aren't many claims of that size in my part of the world anyway. And as for only helping "certain" members, I suspect the issue we have here is a tricky one about managing expectation and what is in the art of the possible within the current framework we have.

I'm afraid I don't check the forum very often so can't keep track of it all but thank you to all who have shared your experiences on this topic.

Finally - do all keep an eye out for our upcoming meetings in the region looking at the new Defra "Command Paper" consultation - this is your chance to help shape what comes next and ensure that the errors we have all had to deal with are put right in future schemes.

The words 'pure fantasy' sums up alot of certain statements made on here

 

[hally]

Utter bullocks. I worked for the NFU for a good few years, and assisted filling thousands of BPS claims, and a good few appeals- a very small proportion of which would have been anywhere near £80k- in fact the vast majority of forms I saw, would be from smaller farms, who weren’t as proficient/experienced as some larger farms. In fact I remember filling in BPS applications which had no monertary claim whatsoever. I can’t once remember myself or a colleague turning down a request for help. I don’t know you or your issues personally, but I do remember on an odd occasion telling a member they were “flogging a dead horse” for want of a better phrase.



You are very well aware of the fact there’s a county advisor, to who the group secretaries report, in each county, carrying out the exact role you are bemoaning.

I have been a member for most of my farming career and asked for help with bps form two years ago and was told by my local branch this service was only offered to members who insured with the NFU, which we do not. Also we asked for a tenancy advice last year and was directed to a local firm of solicitors who give me conflicting advice ( two solicitors with opposite opinions) and in the end we paid a land agent to get the problem sorted. Starting to think my subs needs to go elsewhere tbh.

 

[Goweresque]

I have been a member for most of my farming career and asked for help with bps form two years ago and was told by my local branch this service was only offered to members who insured with the NFU, which we do not. Also we asked for a tenancy advice last year and was directed to a local firm of solicitors who give me conflicting advice ( two solicitors with opposite opinions) and in the end we paid a land agent to get the problem sorted. Starting to think my subs needs to go elsewhere tbh.

It seems to me that the NFU is rather like the NHS - if the staff in your area are good, you get good service. If they are mediocre (or worse) you get poor service. There doesn't seem to be any overarching management control of what local offices are up to, and what they should or should not be doing, and keeping them up to the mark if they don't. What one office will do another won't, hence the conflicting reports one gets from people's experiences on this thread. And the experiences of the NFU Mutual seem to be the same - its a post code lottery as to whether you get a competitive quote straight off, or a 'We'll try a big quote to start with, they might bite' attitude.

It doesn't fill me with a great desire to be involved with either to be honest. People like consistency. They like to know what they're going to get. Its why the likes of McDonalds and Wetherspoons are so popular - whatever their quality of service is, you know it'll be the same from Penzance to Aberdeen and everywhere in between, and cost the same too.

 

[Henarar]

The words 'pure fantasy' sums up alot of certain statements made on here

Which ones ?

 

[tom]

...I have asked for help with bps form two years ago and was told by my local branch this service was only offered to members who insured with the NFU, which we do not ..

... by 'local branch' do you mean your local branch of the Mutual?

The person you need to be asking is your NFU county adviser (and if my county adviser asked who I was insured with he would get told it is none of his fecking business).

Better still if you can get to the Stoneybeck Inn near Penrith tomorrow night you can put your questions to the bloke who knows more about BPS than anyone at DEFRA or RPA; ask him how many farmers he has helped in his time and what percentage of those claims were over £80k.

https://www.nfuonline.com/about-us/...ook-now-to-talk-bps-with-our-leading-adviser/

 

[BobTheSmallholder]

Doesn't the NFU operate in Scotland? If not why not?

 

[Qman]

Doesn't the NFU operate in Scotland? If not why not?

It is the Scottish NFU and has it's own president and team.

 

[hally]

No

... by 'local branch' do you mean your local branch of the Mutual?

The person you need to be asking is your NFU county adviser (and if my county adviser asked who I was insured with he would get told it is none of his fecking business).

Better still if you can get to the Stoneybeck Inn near Penrith tomorrow night you can put your questions to the bloke who knows more about BPS than anyone at DEFRA or RPA; ask him how many farmers he has helped in his time and what percentage of those claims were over £80k.

https://www.nfuonline.com/about-us/...ook-now-to-talk-bps-with-our-leading-adviser/

No, I mean my local NFU office in Carlisle ( they also sell insurance).
The problem was a specific one to my business, it’s not going to be answered by a bigwig at a local meeting. The issue with the solicitors was a referral to the local recommended firm of which I was entitled to a consultation due to the legal aid premium I pay on my subs. I reached the conclusion that free advice was exactly what it was worth!! The local branch secretary was told of our unsatisfactory outcome but didn’t bother to follow it up