Rural Payments and Services

This year’s Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme (SUSSS), which provides additional support on top of the Basic Payment Scheme to sheep producers who farm in Scotland's rough grazing areas, will be open for applications from Thursday 1 September until Monday 17 October, 2016.

Online applications for SUSSS can be made on Rural Payments and Services here. Following submission, online applications allow you to easily withdraw any animals from the scheme that you no longer wish to claim, or that die during the retention period.

Paper-based application forms are available through your local Area Office. These must be completed and returned to the Area Office within the Scheme application period in order to apply.

SUSSS, now in its second year, is targeted at sheep production on the poorest quality land to help farmers maintain the social and environmental benefits that sheep flocks bring to those areas.

In order to be eligible for SUSSS, a sheep producer must have homebred ewe hoggs, no more than 200 hectares of Payment Region 1 land, and 80 per cent of their holding must consist of land in Payment Region 3.

Payment is based on the number of eligible ewe hoggs; or a number equal to, or restricted to, one ewe hogg per four hectares of eligible land, whichever is the fewer.

Further SUSSS scheme guidance can be found here. If you have any questions please contact the Entitlements and Payments Information Helpline on 0300 300 2222.

2016 Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme (SUSSS) opens Thursday 1 September