For the first time this year all farmers in England will have the ability to submit their Single Payment Scheme (SPS) applications online.
Using Farmplan’s SPS Planner software, which links directly to the Government Gateway, farmers and agents can save time and help eliminate errors that can delay payments.
The roll-out of the software follows a successful pilot by 500 subsidy claimants, who used it to submit their 2008 SPS applications. Tested in conjunction with the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) for 2009 SPS applications, it can be used by any farmer, land-owner or agent with a computer and internet connection.
Piers Costley, general manager of Farmplan, said: “The biggest benefit for farmers is less time spent filling in forms. You simply download your data from RPA, update it with your 2009 cropping and other information, and then upload it again when you’re done. Error-checking is handled by the software, and you get instant confirmation with a unique reference number - your cast-iron guarantee that the forms have been safely received.
“We know what a painstaking process the paper forms can be - many of our staff are from farming families. So we’ve made SPS Planner as quick and pain-free as possible. The combination of the software and our trained support team means it is like having a reassuring hand to help you through the process.”
The SPS Planner software is currently used for almost 1,000 claims. Based on the IACS programme, launched in 1996, Farmplan has developed the software working closely with RPA and the farmers who rely on it for accurate subsidy applications.
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