The Scottish Government has delivered over 10% fewer BPS payments compared to last year as of October 1. By the start of October in 2023 85% of payments had been made while this year only 74% of payments have been processed.

Despite fewer payments being processed on the year the Scottish Government is confident it remains on track with its 2024 payment strategy for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and Greening payments. The also point out there are no issues reported in the processing systems.

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A spokesperson for the government stated:

"We are in line with our payment strategy, with no issues reported with the payments systems. We brought forward processing of the Basic Payment Scheme and Greening advance payments to the beginning of September, ahead of the planned systems improvements."

As of October 1, advance payments totalling approximately £266m have been distributed to 12,759 businesses across Scotland. The Scottish Government’s commitment to upgrading its payment systems may improve future distribution speeds, but for now, the industry will be closely monitoring how swiftly the remaining payments are made.