Complete your claim
Use this section to help you complete your claim
After you’ve signed in to the Rural Payments service, click ‘View business’. Scroll down the ‘Business overview’ screen and click ‘Countryside Stewardship claims’.
If you cannot see the ‘Countryside Stewardship claims’ link, you should check that you have the correct permission level to create a claim. For more information read the ‘Check your permission levels’ section. If you still cannot see the link after your permission level has been updated in the Rural Payments service, you should ‘sign out’ then ‘sign in’ again, to refresh your account.
Use these screens to submit your capital claim online. Before you start your claim you must read the relevant scheme manual, search for Countryside Stewardship on GOV.UK, and choose the relevant link.
There’s a ‘Help’ link on many of the screens that will take you through each process step-by-step.
On the ‘Countryside Stewardship claims’ screen, click the green button to ‘Create a new Countryside Stewardship Capital Claim’ for the relevant year.
IMPORTANT: The year will not be visible on the ‘Create a new Countryside Stewardship Capital Claim’ green buttons until 31 March 2022.
Therefore, to create a capital claim for:
- 2021 – click on the top capital claim green button
- 2022 – click on the bottom capital claim green button
From 31 March 2022 the year will be visible on the green buttons, as shown below.
The screen shows a list of agreements for your business.
Your agreement must contain at least one capital item eligible for payment before you can create a capital claim for that agreement.
Select the agreement you want to submit the claim for.
Then click ‘Create a new Countryside Stewardship Capital Claim’.
A message will appear when your claim is created ‘Successfully’.
Click ‘Close’ to return to the previous screen where you can open your claim.
The screen shows the claim status as ‘Created’ and the unique ‘Claim Reference’ number.
If the status shows as ‘Claim Held’ call RPA on 03000 200 301.
Click ‘Open’ to continue your claim.
Using the list on your screen, you can add details to your online capital claim using ‘Complete your claim’, or you can create your ‘Claim Summary’.
Click ‘Complete your claim’.
A list of everything you need to do in your claim appears.
The following applies for each capital item section:
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If your agreement does not contain any relevant capital items a message will tell you this.
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You cannot claim for items after the ‘claim by’ deadline date shown in your agreement document. It may be possible to have the deadline date extended, apply to RPA using the details in the ‘More information, contact details and data protection’ section.
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Remember to click ‘Save’ where you see that button as you go through your claim, so you don’t lose any information when you leave those screens.
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If you think the numbers (for example, quantity, length or area) for any of the items are incorrect, contact RPA BEFORE you submit your claim. Read the ‘More information, contact details and data protection’ section.
Add standard cost items
Click ‘Annex I Details of Capital Item Claim for Standard Cost Items’.
This screen shows a list of standard cost items that are in your agreement.
Payment for standard cost items is based on the number, length or area shown in the ‘Applied for’ column (for example, as items, metres, hectares).
You’ll see the amounts under the headings ‘Total Approved’, ‘Total Remaining’ and ‘Applied for’.
Click ‘Open’ for the item code you want to claim.
Enter the amount you’re claiming for under ‘Quantity Claimed’.
The ‘Payment Claimed’ amount will automatically update after you’ve entered the quantity claimed, and will also update if you make any changes to the quantity claimed.
If you’re claiming for the ‘full amount’ shown under ‘Quantity Remaining To Complete’ you must tick the ‘Final Claim’ box, before you click ‘Save’.
If you’re not claiming for the full amount under ‘Quantity Remaining To Complete’ but you are not submitting any further claims for this item, you should tick ‘Final Claim’, before you click ‘Save’. You’ll need to provide further details in the ‘Claim profile’ screen.
Do not tick ‘Final Claim’ if you intend to submit a further claim for any remaining quantity of the item.
Click ‘Save’, then ‘Back’ to return to the Standard Cost Items screen.
Repeat this process for each Standard Cost Item you want to claim for.
Add actual cost items
Click ‘Annex II Details of Capital Item Claim for Items Paid on the basis for Actual Cost’.
This screen shows a list of actual cost items that are in your agreement.
Payment for actual cost items is based on a percentage of the actual cost shown in the invoices you provide. For more information search for Countryside Stewardship grants on GOV.UK. Or read the ‘Eligibility Requirements and Specifications for Capital Items’ section in your agreement documents.
You’ll see the amounts under the headings ‘Total Approved’, ‘Total Remaining’ and ‘Applied for’ amounts.
Click ‘Open’ for the item code you want to claim.
To enter the amount you want to claim, click ‘Invoices’ in the individual capital item screen.
When you first open ‘Invoices’, it will show ‘No data found’.
This will update when you add your invoice details.
Click ‘Add New Invoice’.
Enter the details from the invoice(s) you’re using to support the claim for this item. You ‘must’ enter details in the boxes marked with an asterisk (*) or you cannot save the details and leave the screen.
For more information about what to enter on this screen click the ‘Help’ link on the screen or read your agreement documents.
If you’re claiming for the full amount of the ‘Eligible Grant Remaining’, you must tick the ‘Final Claim’ box before you click ‘OK’, or you cannot save the information.
If you’re not claiming for the full amount of the ‘Eligible Grant Remaining’, but you’ll not be submitting any further claims for this item, you should tick the ‘Final Claim’ box to confirm this. You’ll need to provide further details about this in the ‘Claim Profile’ screen.
Do not tick ‘Final Claim’ if you intend to submit a further claim for any remaining quantity of the item.
After you’ve entered the details, click ‘OK’ to save and return to the capital item screen. If you’ve more than one invoice, repeat this process for each invoice you have.
If you need to amend any of the invoice details you’ve entered, you can ‘Open’ or ‘Delete’ the details you’ve previously entered as shown below.
The ‘Quantity Claimed (Pounds)’ will automatically update after you’ve entered the invoice details, to show the amount you’re claiming for.
Click ‘Back’ to return to the capital item screen, and then ‘Save’.
Then click ‘Back’ to return to the actual cost items screen:
Repeat this process for each actual cost item you want to claim for. After you’ve updated the claimed amount for each item, scroll down to the bottom of the actual cost items screen to click ‘Close’ to return to the ‘Complete your claim’ section.
Claim profile
This screen asks you to confirm the following 2 points:
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Are there any capital items in your agreement that you have not claimed for by the ‘claim by’ deadline date in your agreement? If you answer ‘Yes’, give the details of those items in the box below the question.
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If you do not intend to make a further claim for capital items in your agreement that you have not already claimed for, answer ‘Yes’ and give details of those items in the box below the question.
Please note that if the answer to either point is ‘Yes’, you must enter the details into the box below the question of the capital items in your agreement that you are not claiming for.
Click ‘Clear’ to delete all information if you’ve made a mistake.
Click ‘Save’, then ‘Close’ to return to the ‘Complete your claim’ section.
You must answer this question before you can submit your claim.
Other public funding
You cannot use Countryside Stewardship to pay for capital work that you’re receiving other funding for. Therefore, you must tell us about any other funding you’re receiving or have received for capital work completed under this agreement so that we can assess the eligibility of your claim.
You must answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to this question.
If you answer ‘Yes’ you must give more information in the box provided about what work you’re receiving funding for, from which organisation and the amount of money involved.
Then click ‘Save’, then ‘Close’ to return to the ‘Complete your claim’ section.
You must answer this question before you can submit your claim.
Supporting documents
After you’ve submitted your capital claim online, you need to send supporting documents and evidence to RPA. This screen asks you to confirm which documents you’re sending.
You must answer all the questions before you can submit your claim.
- Are you VAT registered? – Answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’
If you answer ‘Yes’, then your answer to the next question should be ‘Not applicable’, as you cannot claim the VAT under the scheme if you’re VAT registered.
- VAT declaration for those capital items which are paid on the basis of actual costs
If you answered ‘No’ to the previous question, and you want to claim the VAT for any actual cost capital items you’re claiming for, you must submit a letter from your accountant confirming you’re not VAT registered. And answer ‘Yes’ to confirm you’re submitting that confirmation.
If you’re not VAT registered and you do not want to claim the VAT, answer ‘Not applicable’.
If you’re not claiming for any actual cost capital items, or you are VAT registered, you must enter ‘Not applicable’ or you cannot submit your claim.
- Receipted invoices/receipts
If you’re claiming for any actual cost capital items, enter the number of receipted invoices/receipts you’re sending to RPA to support your claim.
If you’re not claiming for any actual cost capital items you must enter ‘0’ or you cannot submit your claim.
- Capital item supporting evidence
Answer ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ to confirm whether you’re sending the required evidence to RPA. Read more information about evidence for each item in Countryside Stewardship grants on GOV.UK.
After you’ve answered all the questions, click ‘Save’, then ‘Close’ to return to the ‘Complete your claim’ section.
Declarations
You must complete this declaration or you cannot submit your claim.
Read all of the declarations and undertakings. Use the scroll bar at the side of the declaration to read it all.
Click ‘Yes’ to confirm that you accept the declarations and responsibilities, then click ‘Close’.
You should create (generate and download) your claim summary before submitting your claim to RPA.
Using the list on your screen, you can ‘View and Print your Claim Summary’ before you submit your claim. Create your summary after you’ve filled in your claim.
Claim Summary
Before you submit your claim, create (generate and download) your claim summary.
This summary shows the information you’ve entered into your claim. It’s important that you use it to check that you’ve given the correct information before you submit your claim. Then if needed, you can go back into your claim and change it.
(After you’ve submitted your claim to RPA you get another opportunity to create your claim summary. Keep this as a record of the claim you’ve submitted.)
Click ‘View and print your Claim Summary’.
Click ‘Generate’ to create (or update) this summary.
The first time you generate the document the ‘Download’ button will not be clearly visible. When the document is ready the ’Download’ button turns green and the button will now always be visible. The date and time that appears next to the ‘Download’ button tells you when the document was last updated with the information in your claim.
After you’ve generated the document, click ‘Download’ to see the document.
If you always click ‘Generate’ before you click ‘Download’, you’ll always see the most up to date information in your claim.
You can read the summary on screen by scrolling down the pages or you can print or save it for your records by using the buttons that appear when you place the cursor near the middle point at the bottom of the screen.
Do not send the document to us as a paper claim – we cannot accept it.