Farming Recovery Fund – NFU raises concerns with Defra

We have been informed that work is ongoing to develop the Farming Recovery Fund offer following criticism of the scheme.

There are no timescales on any forthcoming changes being announced, but we will continue to engage with the RPA and Defra.

In the meantime, we have fed back members’ concerns to the RPA and Defra from both those included and excluded from the original scheme design.

These include the following points:

• Reaction around why certain rivers in named counties and unconfirmed counties and associated rivers have not been included in phase 1 and are currently ineligible despite experiencing significant flooding during Storm Henk.
• Continued reaction to the original 150m limit of fields close to named rivers and announced extension.
• Concern that the fund was not open to apply for, as it was effectively closed to everyone, other than those that the RPA originally deemed to be eligible.
• Confusion around understanding what ‘recultivation’ means and what action is expected from members, especially on grassland.
• Members concerns around flood storage areas.
• Other losses beyond field inundation including an affected poultry site.
• Wider concerns around the last 7 months of weather.

The NFU raised concerns over the eligibility criteria after the fund opened, with support originally limited to land located within 150 metres of eligible rivers in regions hit hardest by Storm Henk.

After extensive talks with the NFU, Defra has now reversed the 150 metre rule, with farmers now able to receive payments for all land parcels in the named, eligible areas.

The NFU has welcomed the removal of the limit but urged the government to consider farmers not covered by the fund who have been heavily impacted by flooding. 

Find out more at: Farming Recovery Fund – Defra lifts 150m eligibility rule.

The government has opened the Farming Recovery Fund to support farmers who suffered uninsurable damage to their land due to flooding this winter.

The RPA (Rural Payments Agency) is administering the fund on behalf of Defra, with landowners or tenant farmers who occupied eligible land parcels at the time of Storm Henk able to claim £130 per hectare for recultivation work.

The eligible counties and rivers announced at this time are listed below:

• Gloucestershire – River Severn, River Thames and River Avon
• Leicestershire – Rothley Brook, River Wreake and River Soar
• Lincolnshire – River Witham, River Brant, River Welland, River Ancholme
• Nottinghamshire – River Trent, River Devon and River Soar
• Somerset – River Brue, River Exe, River Parrott and River Tone
• Warwickshire – River Avon and River Leam
• West Northants – River Nene and River Gt Ouse
• Wiltshire – River Avon (Hants), River Avon (Bristol), River Kennet, River Thames, River Bourne and River Wylye
• Worcestershire – River Severn, River Teme and River Avon

In welcoming the news, the NFU has been particularly pleased that eligibility for the fund will be kept open by Defra for other areas affected, something the NFU has pressed for following feedback from its membership.

Counties under review at this stage are Berkshire, Herefordshire, Oxfordshire, Surrey, Staffordshire, Yorkshire, Norfolk and Derbyshire.

Find out more at: Farming Recovery Fund to help farmers affected by flooding.

To be able to provide member feedback on the impacts of flooding, we opened a short survey for members to gather their experiences, the impact of Storm Henk and what could help them with their recovery.

The member feedback was anonymised and passed to the RPA / Defra. The summary was also sent to Minister Robbie Moore.

Farmers who have suffered uninsurable damage to their land will be able to apply for grants of up to £25,000 through the Farming Recovery Fund towards repair and reinstatement costs for farmers adversely affected by exceptional flooding.

As was the case with Storm Babet, farmers should also be eligible for up to £2,500 from the Business Recovery Grant to help them return quickly to business as usual and up to £5,000 from the Property Flood Resilience Repair Grant Scheme to help make their homes and businesses more resilient to future flooding.

Additional measures announced include:

• Flooded households will also be able to apply for up to £500 cash to help with immediate costs.
• Households and businesses significantly affected will be eligible for 100% council tax and business rates relief for at least 3 months.

The Farming Recovery Fund is triggered following exceptional weather events and was last made available in 2019/20.

Find out more at: GOV.UK | Government payments for communities affected by flooding.