Guidance

Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) actions affected by Lump Sum Exit Scheme payments

Find out if you need to repay your lump sum payment from the Lump Sum Exit Scheme when you apply for CSHT.

• From: Rural Payments Agency and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 16 October 2025

Applies to England

If you’ve received a payment under the Lump Sum Exit Scheme, you must repay it if you want to add any of the listed CSHT actions to your CSHT agreement.

You do not need to repay the lump sum if:

• you retained up to 5 hectares (ha) of agricultural land
• the retained land is the only land you want to enter into the listed actions

If you received the lump sum as a partnership or limited company, you do not need to repay it if only some partners or shareholders left the business.

CSHT action code	CSHT action title
CAB19	Pollen and nectar flower mix
CAB2	Basic overwinter stubble
CAB5	Nesting plots for lapwing and stone curlew
CAB6	Enhanced overwinter stubble
CAB7	Whole crop cereals
CAB18	Flower-rich grass margins, blocks, or in-field strips (on arable land or permanent crops)
CAB17	Winter bird food on arable and horticultural land
CAB10	Unharvested cereal headland
CAB11	Cultivated areas for arable plants
CAB12	Supplementary winter bird food
CAB14	Low input harvested cereal crops
CAB16	Bumblebird mix
CHRW4	Manage hedgerows
CCT3	Manage coastal saltmarsh and its vegetation
CCT4	Create intertidal and saline habitat on arable land
CCT5	Create intertidal and saline habitat by non-intervention
CCT7	Create intertidal and saline habitat on intensive grassland
VED1	Educational access visits
CGS26	Manage grassland with very low inputs
CGS4	Herbal leys
CGS22	Manage priority habitat species-rich grassland
CGS20	Manage wet grassland for breeding waders
CGS19	Manage wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl
CGS21	Manage grassland for target habitats, species or features
CHS2	Take historic and archaeological features out of cultivation
CHS3	Reduce cultivation depths on historic and archaeological features
CHS4	Control scrub on historic and archaeological features
CHS5	Manage historic and archaeological features on grassland
CHS7	Manage historic water meadows through traditional irrigation
CHS9	Restrict crop establishment depth on historic and archaeological features
CLH1	Manage lowland heathland
CLH3	Create lowland heathland
CAB2	Basic overwintered stubble
CAB17	Winter bird food on arable and horticulture land
COP3	Supplementary winter bird food (organic land)
CSW7	Arable reversion to grassland with low fertiliser input
CSW8	Manage intensive grassland adjacent to a watercourse
CSW12	Make room for the river to move
CSW13	Manage grassland to reduce nutrient levels in groundwater
CSW15	Flood mitigation on arable reversion to grassland
CSW16	Flood mitigation on permanent grassland
CSW17	Raise water levels in cropped or arable peat soils to near the land surface
CSW18	Raise water levels in permanent grassland peat soils to near the land surface
CUP2	Manage rough grazing for birds
CUP3	General moorland Management
CWD3	Manage woodland edges on arable land
CWD22	Manage wood pasture and parkland
CWD21	Restore wood pasture and parkland
CWD8	Create scrub and open habitat mosaics
CWT1	Buffer in-field ponds and ditches on improved grassland
CWT2	Buffer in-field ponds and ditches on arable land
CGS18	Manage species-rich floodplain meadows
CUP8	Moderate livestock grazing on moorland
CUP9	Low livestock grazing on moorland
CUP10	Limited livestock grazing on moorland
CUP11	Shepherding livestock on moorland (no required stock removal period)
CUP12	Shepherding livestock on moorland (remove stock for a minimum of 4 months)
CUP13	Shepherding livestock on moorland (remove stock for a minimum of 6 months)
CUP14	Shepherding livestock on moorland (remove stock for a minimum of 8 months)
CSP21	American mink control and management
CSP20	Edible dormouse control and management
CSW24	Manage grassland for flood and drought resilience and water quality
CSW23	Manage features on arable land for flood and drought resilience and water quality
CSW22	Connect river and floodplain habitats
CSW25	Manage riparian and water edge habitats
CSW21	6m to 24m 3-dimensional (3D)  buffer strip
CPAC1	Open access
CPAC4	Footpath access
CPAC3	Bridleway or cycle route  access
CPAC2	Access for people with reduced mobility
CSW19	Raise water levels in cropped or arable peat soils
CSW20	Raise water levels in permanent grassland peat soils
CAGF1	Maintain high density in-field agroforestry
CAGF3	Maintain medium density in-field agroforestry
CAGF2	Maintain low density in-field agroforestry on more sensitive land
CAGF4	Maintain very low density in-field agroforestry on more sensitive land
CWT1	Buffer in-field ponds and ditches on improved grassland
CWT2	Buffer in-field ponds and ditches on arable land
CCT2	Make space for new coastal habitat
CCT4	Create intertidal and saline habitat on arable land
CCT5	Create intertidal and saline habitat by non-intervention
CCT7	Create intertidal and saline habitat on intensive grassland
CGS20	Manage wet grassland for breeding waders
CGS22	Manage priority habitat species-rich grassland
CLH2	Restore lowland heathland
CGS25	Legumes on improved grassland
CSP9	Support for threatened species
CSP13	Invasive plant species control and management (lower rate)
CSP14	Invasive plant species control and management (intermediate rate)
CSP15	Invasive plant species control and management (upper rate)
CWS1	Deer control and management
CWS3	Grey squirrel control and management
CWT14	Create fen, reedbed or wetland mosaics

Contact the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) to discuss repaying a Lump Sum Exit Scheme payment

Rural Payments Agency
PO Box 352
Worksop
S80 9FG

Email: ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk

Telephone: 03000 200 301

Published 16 October 2025