With just seven days to go until the 15 May deadline for Single Payment Scheme (SPS) 2014 applications, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has announced it will extend its call centre opening hours this weekend.

Farmers and agents with last-minute queries about their application will now be able to call the customer service centre (0845 603 7777) between 9am to 1pm on Saturday and Sunday (10 and 11 May).

The Agency has said record numbers of applications have been made online this year, with over 49,000 of 70,000 applications coming through the RPA's SPS Online portal. Of the 49,000, more than a quarter have come from applicants using the online service for the first time.

However, earlier in the week the Agency was forced to take down SPS Online due to a high number of applicants expressing concerns about glitches in the service. Although normal service resumed on Tuesday (6 May) and RPA said Wednesday (7 May) was the online portal's busiest day on record, Agency staff issued a statement on Wednesday in which they said, "We are still trying to find out what is causing the intermittent problem with SPS Online and are working hard to fix it."

Customers had reported experiencing problems logging in, ahead of RPA's decision to take the service offline on Tuesday. The Agency said in a statement that its staff will be monitoring the system closely up until the SPS deadline next week, but added, "Customers are advised to keep saving any changes as they work through their application and to check that their claim has been submitted successfully."

On Friday, Customer Service Director Justin Chamberlain said, "As in previous years, some applications remain in progress on the system and these applicants are urged to get back online and finish their claim.  As a further demonstration of our commitment to good customer service, the RPA will be in touch with as many as possible of these customers over the coming days to remind them to finalise and submit their claims."

All SPS applications, whether submitted online or on paper, must reach the RPA by midnight on 15 May to avoid late application penalties. If an application has been received by RPA, applicants can make changes before midnight on 2 June without incurring penalties.

Although applications and changes can be made until midnight on 9 June, and will still be accepted, penalties will be applied in these cases. Any applications received after 9 June will not be accepted.