Six steps to preparing for BPS registration

Farmers are being urged to register on the rural payments service as soon as possible,
so they are ready to apply for the Basic Payment Scheme. Justin Chamberlain, customer director at the RPA, advises how.

See also: Avoid BPS registration on 30 Jan, says RPA

1. Chose between online or phone registration

Use Gov.uk Verify or call the registration helpline on 03000 200 301. You will need an email address and phone number, your personal identifier, personal and business details and SPS claim and payment details.

2. Prepare for the security questions

Security questions online might include who other residents at the same address are, how long the applicant has lived there and at previous addresses, when the applicant moved in and addresses and postcodes of previous homes. On the helpline they might also include what are the last four digits of the bank account that the last SPS payment was made into or the payment value of the last SPS claim.

3. Dig out your proof of identity

If you use a driver’s licence as proof of identity to register online, only photocard versions will be accepted. You need the 16-digit licence number.

4. Make sure you have enough time for the process

The average time to register is about 12 minutes.

5. Remember to double check your details

Once you have confirmed your identity you will be able to log on to the rural payments service. You should be able to check your personal and business details (address, email and phone numbers), land details (field name, field reference number and total field size) and give permission for an agent to submit final claims on your behalf.

6. Call the helpline if you encounter problems 

Anyone who can’t get online or does not have access to a computer or the internet should call the RPA on 03000 200 301 to talk through options available to help them.