Rural Payments and Services

Changes to Scottish Upland Sheep Support Scheme (SUSSS)

The SUSSS application period, retention period and eligible animal requirements have been permanently amended from the 2018 scheme year onwards.

A Scottish Statutory Instrument (S.S.I) was laid before Scottish Parliament on 16 April, 2018 on The Common Agricultural Policy (Miscellaneous Amendments) (Scotland) Regulations 2018 which extends the derogation already applied in relation to the 2017 scheme year by S.S.I 2017/317.

These changes include:

• SUSSS application period is now 1 September to 30 November (previously 1 September to 16 October)
• retention period will be 1 December of the scheme year to 31 March the following calendar year (previously 17 October to 31 March)
• eligible Ovine Animals must be less than 12 months old on 1 December instead of 17 October
• eligible Ovine Animals must be kept on the holding from birth and also during the period of 1 December to 31 March (previously 17 October to 31 March)

In recognition of the poor weather and the impact this had on crofters and hill farmers, the Scottish Government made the decision in 2017 to temporarily extend the application deadline for SUSSS from 16 October, 2017 to 30 November, 2017 and the retention period from 17 October, 2017 to 1 December, 2017.

The continued wet weather in 2018 has prompted the decision to permanently apply the extended application submission period.

Changes to Young Farmer Payments (YFP)

The Omnibus Regulation has introduced changes to the existing rules for Young Farmer Payments (YFP) which make up part of the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS).

Payments will now be made to eligible applicants for a maximum of five years from the date of their first application submission rather than from the date the applicant set up as head of holding.

This change means that applicants who set up from calendar year 2014 onwards will be eligible to receive YFP for a period of five years from the date of first submission of an application for payment. For example, a young farmer setting up in 2014 who submitted their first application for YFP in 2015 will continue to be eligible to apply for payments in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. A young farmer setting up in 2014 who submits their first application for YFP in 2016 will continue to be eligible to apply for payments in 2017, 2018, 2019.

All current schemes are running until 2019 meaning eligible applicants who have applied for YFP in 2015 onwards will be eligible to apply for their payments until then.

YFP must continue to be claimed annually by the eligible business and annual checks will be undertaken to ensure the business remains eligible for payment.