Who can apply and claim for funding to improve animal health and welfare
Find out if you are eligible to apply and claim for funding to reduce endemic diseases and conditions, increase animal productivity and improve animal welfare.
Applies to England
To get funding, you must apply and have an Improve Animal Health and Welfare (IAHW) agreement. Before you start any actions from welfare reviews or follow-up visits, make sure the agreement is in place.
Who can apply and claim
You can get funding for a vet, or a team chosen by a vet, to visit your farm if you have one or more of the following per herd or flock:
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11 or more beef cattle
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11 or more dairy cattle
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51 or more pigs
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21 or more sheep
You must have a minimum number of animals in each herd or flock each time the vet visits your farm.
You can still apply for funding if you got a lump sum payment to leave or retire from farming.
You must:
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claim only for livestock registered in England
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be responsible for the welfare of your livestock when the vet does a review or follow-up
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claim only for businesses with a single business identifier (SBI) linked to a county parish holding (CPH) number
The CPH number must be registered in England. The CPH number cannot be:
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an 8,000 number used for abattoirs, pet food manufacturers, racing pigeon establishments and showgrounds
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a 9,000 number used for poultry keepers
Get help with your application
For more help with applying for this service, you can watch this video. It shows you how to apply and how to find all the information farmers and vets need.
Contact the Rural Payments Agency if you:
- cannot apply online
- have a question about your application
You can scan and attach documents in an email and send them to us. Or you can post them to our address. You should:
- use ‘IAHW’ in the email subject heading
- put your SBI and IAHW agreement number on everything you send to us
Write to:
Rural Payments Agency
PO Box 352
Worksop
S80 9FG
Email: ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk.
Telephone: 03000 200 301 Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm, except public holidays.
Funding to improve animal health and welfare: guidance for farmers and vets