Rural Payments service – NFU members to note planned downtime

09 July 2026

A man holding a tablet — Photograph: HighwayStarz

The Rural Payments service will be unavailable from 5.15pm on Thursday 9 July until 9am on Friday 10 July.

The NFU is aware that the Rural Payments agency has scheduled downtime to its Rural Payment service in order to release new functionality for its farming schemes.

Members will be unable to access the service between the following times:

5.15pm on Thursday 9 July – 9am on Friday 10 July

During this system downtime, farmers will be unable to start or submit an SFI26 application. This does not mean that the initial application window for SFI26 has closed – it remains open, and eligible farmers will be able to apply once the system is available again from 9am on Friday 10 July.

More on support schemes:

SFI – scheme guidance and information

ELMs capital grants – essential information

Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier – scheme guidance and information

Get more detail

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