The Rural Payments Agency has a webpage with information for farmers at RPA COVID-19 info.  They have closed the majority of their offices and recommend you contact them on-line or by e mail where possible.  When emailing, include the name of the scheme and a brief description in the title eg ‘Countryside Stewardship, Mid Tier query’.  They can only accept emails from email addresses that are registered in the Rural Payments service.  The RPA has paused farm visits (including inspections) for at least three weeks.

There are many concerns about how farmers will apply to the Basic Payment Scheme and Stewardship schemes this year.  The NFU is lobbying on a number of issues including claim deadlines and the process of submitting applications.