IACS Reminder – Single Application Form (SAF)
'March is creeping ever closer, which also means the window for the 2025 Single Application Form (SAF) will be opening too (often referred to as IACS by farmers). Applications can be made from March 14th, with the deadline for applications being May 15th, 2025. There are several options to help you complete these online forms:
- Contact your local SAC Consulting office to get help from an advisor, who can complete the form for you, on your behalf.
- Complete the form yourself online using the Rural Payments and Services (RP&S) website - www.ruralpayments.org.
- Visit your local Scottish Government’s Rural Payments & Inspections Division (SGRPID) office and use their computers to complete the application online.
What Do You Need?
Livestock Numbers – You will need to know what livestock are present on your holding on the 1st March 2025, whether you have economic responsibility for them or not. In addition, if you keep livestock elsewhere you will also need to have numbers of any livestock on Less Favoured Area (LFA) land that you have economic responsibility for (stock wintered away etc.). The application categorises the stock by sex and age for cattle and splits sheep into ewes, gimmers and tups so bear that in mind when totaling your numbers.
Seasonal Land – If you have seasonal land, it is important to know whether you have permission to claim Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) payments on the land and can include it in your SAF. Is the farmer or crofter claiming the subsidy for themselves? It is important to know this to avoid double claims. If selected for inspection, proof of ability to claim will be requested by RPID in the form of a signed agreement or letter with signature authorising claim.
Common Grazings – If you have permission to use and claim another crofter’s share on a common grazing, make sure you have a PF27 form signed by them or the grazings clerk. Again, if selected for inspection, proof of ability to claim will be requested by RPID.
Greening Requirements – Almost all businesses will need to comply with greening requirements. Before completing your SAF you should be familiar with the 2025 greening requirements to make sure you know how to comply.
Whole Farm Plan – You are required to have two elements of the Whole Farm Plan in place this year before May 15th. If one of your elements is the biodiversity audit, then the audit will need to be submitted to Scottish Government Rural Payments and Inspections Division (SGRPID) by the SAF May 15th deadline. The other elements of the plan must be retained and provided in the event of a SGRPID inspection.
Know Your Fields – Familiarise yourself with all of your fields. Is the field grazed, cut for grass silage, or is it whole crop silage? What crop is grown? What size/how many hectares are ploughed etc? Are you following the rotations in your Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) plan?
Request for Assistance Form – If you want your local SAC Consulting advisor to complete the application, make sure to return your ‘request for assistance’ form.
5 Top Tips
- Don’t put it off – get it done early before spring work.
- Complete an accurate livestock stock count on March 1st.
- Get PF27’s signed if you use seasonal Common Grazing shares.
- Make sure you have two Whole Farm Plan elements in place before May 15th.
- Make a note where you plan to apply nitrogen-based fertiliser and lime, including type and rate on permanent grass fields during 2025 for your nitrogen and lime fertiliser plan. Map and measure areas which you intend to use for Ecological Focus Area (EFA) for including and declaring along with your SAF application.
Ashleigh Forster, Agricultural Consultant, Ashleigh.Forster@sac.co.uk
Unearthed is the exclusive SAC Consulting members' monthly newsletter. Unearthed offers insights and tips from our experts on what we think is in store for farming and crofting in the coming months in order to protect and enhance your business.
Posted by Unearthed News on 13/02/2025
