The claim window for existing Countryside Stewardship (CS)
revenue and Environmental Stewardship (ES) agreements has opened
today (Thursday 14 March), the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has
announced.
Farmers must submit an annual declaration or claim form for
Countryside Stewardship or Environmental Stewardship before 15
May to receive payment for works carried out through the schemes
in 2024. Any claims submitted after 15 May up to the final
deadline of 2 September will have a late claim reduction applied
to payments.
Countryside Stewardship and Environmental Stewardship provide
financial incentives for farmers, foresters and land managers to
support sustainable food production whilst looking after the
environment by implementing measures that increase biodiversity,
grow habitats, expand woodland areas, improve water quality and
enhance natural flood management.
In 2023 the RPA supplemented the existing online claim process
for Countryside Stewardship with a more straightforward annual
declaration option in cases where no changes are
required.
This will remain available in the Rural Payments service for
2024, with farmers able to generate and submit an automated
revenue claim without needing to complete each section of the
claim form.
Rural Payments Agency Chief Executive Paul Caldwell said:
“I know how important cashflow is to rural businesses,
particularly in the current climate, which is why we will
continue processing claims as quickly as possible to get payments
into farmers’ bank accounts.
“I encourage eligible farmers to submit their claims for CS
revenue and ES agreements before the deadline to ensure they are
rewarded for their efforts to produce food sustainably while
improving the environment.”
Delinked payments
Today’s announcement comes as the RPA would like to remind
customers that those who wish to transfer some or all their
‘reference amount’ for delinked payments to another business must
do so by 10 May 2024. For example, farmers may wish to do this if
their business has split, merged with another business or been
given a new Single Business Identifier since they were paid BPS
2020.
The RPA replaced the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) in England with
delinked payments which will be paid each year from 2024 to 2027.
The agency plan to make advance payments of around 50% from 1
August and the balance payments from 1 December. There is no need
to apply for delinked payments.
The amount you receive will decrease each year as progressive
reductions are applied. It is calculated based on a ‘reference
amount’ which will normally be the average of your BPS payments
made for the 2020 to 2022 scheme years. You must have claimed,
and been eligible for, BPS payments in England in the 2023 scheme
year (except for some inheritance cases).
