Rural payments: if a registered customer dies
Read information about what to do if a customer registered with the Rural Payments service dies.
Applies to England
If a registered customer dies, their personal representative should call the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) on 03000 200 301. We will work closely with them to find out who:
- should receive any rural payments due
- can make future applications for payments on behalf of the business
We will ask to see a certified copy of the death certificate. We might also ask to see documents, including those shown in the following table.
| Document | Issued by | What it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| ‘Grant of probate’ or ‘Grant letters of administration’ | Probate Registry | Gives the person(s) named in the grant authority by the court to act on behalf of the deceased’s estate |
| Death certificate | General Registrar’s Office | Confirms the date of death |
| Form of indemnity | RPA | Indemnifies the RPA when paying claims in cases where the deceased’s estate was valued at less than £5000 and there is no grant |
This could delay any rural payments that are due to the business. The personal representative(s) of the deceased is responsible for making sure that scheme rules are met for any rural grants schemes the business is involved in.
However, you do not need to wait until you have obtained these documents to contact us, call us as soon as you feel able to. We can then discuss what we need from you and next steps. It’s important that you meet any application, claim or agreement deadlines that might affect any payment(s) due.
Contact the RPA probate team
You can contact the RPA probate team in writing:
Rural Payments
PO Box 352
Worksop
S80 9FG