Remember that:
- Claims can only relate to work carried out during the agreement. The 2016 manual says: Invoices and receipts must relate to activities after the agreement start date, and must be dated after that start date. Claims will be rejected and won’t be paid if, on inspection, it is discovered that the work was carried out prior to or after the agreement period.
- The capital works must be paid for before a claim is submitted. The 2016 manual says: Agreement holders can submit a capital claim for reimbursement at any time of the year, provided the approved work has been completed in accordance with the agreement and has been paid in full by the agreement holder.
- Capital works are part of the agreement: Capital works are not optional within agreements. Where capital is essential to the delivery of a revenue option the capital works must be completed. If the work is not undertaken it will lead to an agreement breach.
Claims can be submitted on line through logging on to the Rural Payments service. The online service uses built in check to help complete the claim correctly. It also generates an evidence checklist that outlines the evidence that needs submitting to support the claim eg photo of the completed work. The evidence does need to be sent by post. There is guidance available here on how to claim online.
Depending on the items you are claiming, you may also need to supply:
- A VAT declaration
- Receipted invoices/receipts
- A British Native-origin seed form
For more information on the documents you need to provide, look up your options on the Countryside Stewardship grants page and refer to the scheme manual that governs your agreement.