How to use these notes to complete your claim

Guidance on how to use these notes to complete your revenue claim for Countryside Stewardship 2022.

Follow the instructions in the order shown below to help you complete your claim. They include what you need to tell us and where to find out about any supporting documents you need to send with your claim.

You must use BLOCK letters and black ink. Please initial any changes you make and do not use correcting fluid. If you do not follow these instructions, your claim may be rejected.

Section 1: Your claim details

Please check all pre-populated details are correct. If any details are incorrect, please contact us using our contact details at the top of the letter we sent with your form.

Section 2: Parcel based multi-year options summary

Please use Annex 1 to complete this section. The table shows the parcel based multi-year options and the parcels in your agreement during the claim period (for example, 1 January to 31 December).

You must meet the requirements of the options as they appeared in the agreement document that you signed up to in the first year of your agreement. Any changes that have been made to the options after you signed up to your agreement do not apply to you.

Please check each line of the table carefully to make sure the correct option codes and areas are listed and that you have delivered, or will deliver, the required management this year. If any of the details listed are incorrect, or there are areas you will be unable to manage in accordance with your agreement, complete Section 6. If you do not tell us about any incorrect details it could lead to penalties being applied to your claim.

If you do not claim the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), please write the land use code in the ‘If no BPS claim indicate (ha)’ column. For a list of BPS 2022 codes go to www.gov.uk and search ‘Rural Payments: land use codes 2022’.

We complete land use cross checks when we check your claim form. You must provide a land use code for each parcel on which you are claiming a Countryside Stewardship multi-year option. If you do not, it could result in a delayed or reduced payment.

Section 3: Rotational multi-year options summary and location

Complete the table with the location and area of your rotational options for the current cropping year. For example, for the cropping year which started last autumn to harvest this year.

Only include the amount of the option you intend to claim for. For options AB2, AB6, OP1, AB7 and AB13 record the location of the stubble for winter 2022/2023.

Please read the guidance at www.gov.uk by searching ‘Mid Tier and Wildlife Offers manual: Countryside Stewardship’. It includes further information on recording your rotational options.

If you do not claim Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), please write the land use code in the ‘If no BPS claim indicate’ column. For a list of BPS 2022 land use codes go to www.gov.uk and search ‘Rural Payments: land use codes 2022’.

You must also provide a land use code for each parcel on which you are claiming a Countryside Stewardship multi-year option. This is because we complete land use cross checks as part of the claims process. Your payment may be delayed or reduced, if the land-use codes are missing.

If you cannot confirm the location of any of the rotational options, leave the parcel number(s)/area(s) column blank. Then, tick the final column to confirm you will give us the location by 1 September 2022 by:

Rural Payments Agency (Countryside Stewardship)
PO Box 324
WORKSOP
S95 1DF

Please fill in all other relevant information.

If you run out of space to enter all the land parcels that a rotational option is located on, use a continuation sheet. If relevant, fill in the number of continuation sheets used in the box provided.

Section 4: Agreement level options

If your Agreement includes options SP10, AB12 or OP3, please fill in the table.

If your Agreement includes AB12 or OP3 fill in the ‘Quantity claimed’ column in tonnes or hectares (you do not need to fill in this column for SP10).

Section 5: Number of Educational Access visits

If your Agreement includes Educational Access option ED1, fill in the box with the number of visits that will be made to your farm between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2022.

The deadline to submit all your ED1 Farm Visit Evaluation Forms is 31 January 2023.

Section 6: Change(s) to your claim

If any of the options in your Agreement have changed, use the box to provide details. For example:

  • if you have been or will be unable to carry out the management required, explain why. Also, include the field parcel references and multi-year options affected. (If you have submitted a written request for a minor and temporary adjustment to your Agreement for this year, you do not need to provide details in the box)
  • if there has been a transfer in or out of your Agreement, you should complete a transfer in or transfer out form as appropriate. If we have not yet been told about a transfer already include details of the land, the party the land was transferred from/to and the date of transfer.
  • provide details of any other changes to the parcel based options information (as shown in Section 4 of your Agreement Document).

Submit your claim form and supporting documents

Please send us your completed form, together with any required supporting documents, to our email or postal address. Read about required supporting documents at www.gov.uk/countryside-stewardship-grants.