A guide to how Farm Assist system works

What is Farm Assist (FA)?

It is a means-tested payment for low-income farmers. There is a similar social welfare payment for fishermen and women called Fish Assist.

How to qualify for Farm Assist

You must:

• Be a farmer
• Be farming land in Ireland
• Be aged between 18 and 66
• Pass a means test

You are considered a farmer, if you farm land that you own or lease for the purpose of husbandry. This means working the land with the aim of taking produce from the land.

How income is assessed for Farm Assist

In a means test, the Department of Social Protection examines all your sources of income. To get FA, your income must be below a certain amount. Some of the items included in the means test are:

• Cash income you or your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant may have. There is some cash income not included in the means test.
• Capital, for example, the value of savings, investments, shares or any property you have (but not your own home). The first €20,000 of your capital is not taken into account.
• Maintenance paid to you.

You can find detailed information on how all sources of income are assessed in the means test for Farm Assist on gov.ie.

How is farm income and other income from self-employment assessed?

It is assessed at 70%, with additional annual disregards of €254 for each of the first two children and €381 for the third and other children. (The disregards for dependent children are applied first and 70% of the balance is assessed.)

Your income from farming is assessed as gross income that you, your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant may be expected to receive minus any expenses you incur to earn that income. Your income from the previous 12 months is used to assess likely future earnings. However, it is not simply assumed that your previous year’s earnings will be repeated the next year as farmers can have significant variations in income from year to year.

When you apply for Farm Assist, a social welfare inspector will call to you and ask to see various documents. For example, accounts prepared for tax purposes, creamery returns, cattle registration cards, details of headage payments and area aid. They will also want information on the sale of crops, cattle, milk and other produce. The inspector will then assess the costs actually and necessarily incurred in connection with the running of the farm.

These costs may include rent, annuities, the cost of inputs like feed and fertiliser and the depreciation of farm machinery. Labour costs are taken into account, with the exception of the labour of the farmer and their spouse, civil partner or cohabitant. You are entitled to receive a copy of this farm income calculation.

If you or your spouse, cohabitant or civil partner has other income from self-employment, it is also assessed, taking into account the costs incurred in the business. The income from farming and other forms of self-employment is added together and the costs involved are deducted.

You may be liable to pay Class S contributions on your income from self-employment.

How is income from farm schemes and direct payments assessed?

Payments from certain farm schemes, for example, the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (REPS), the Agri-Environmental Options Scheme (AEOS), the Special Area of Conservation (SAC) or the Green Low-Carbon Agri-Environment Scheme (GLAS) are treated as follows:

• The first €5,000 per year of payments is disregarded then
• 50% of the balance is also disregarded
• Expenses incurred in complying with these measures are deducted

And

The balance is assessed as means.

You can find a full list of farm schemes that qualify for the disregard on gov.ie.

Under the Direct Payment system, a farmer’s payment can be a combination of payments under four separate schemes. These are the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS), the Greening Payment, the Young Farmer’s Scheme (YFS) and Aid for Protein Crops. Direct payments do not get the above disregards.

How is income from leasing of land treated?

If you have leased part of your land, the income is assessed in full. It is not included in the assessment of income from farming as described above. If you have leased all your land, you are not eligible for Farm Assist.

How is income from employment assessed?

Your assessable weekly earnings (gross income less PRSI, union dues and superannuation fees) are usually assessed on the basis of the 13 weeks before you claim. Not all of your income is taken into account. €20 per day (up to a maximum of €60) is deducted from your assessable weekly earnings and then 60% of the balance is assessed as weekly means.

Any income from an occupational pension is assessed in full. If you have seasonal work, you are assessed on your earnings only during the period you are actually working.

Your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant’s income from employment is assessed in the same way (€20 per day with a maximum of €60 is deducted and 60% of the balance is assessed as weekly means). People who were getting Farm Assist before September 26, 2007, and who were still in payment on September 26, 2007, may be assessed differently.

What are the weekly Farm Assist rates in 2024?

Maximum weekly personal rate is €232, the increase for an adult dependant is €154, and the increase for a child dependant is: Child under 12, €46 (full rate), €23 (half rate); Child aged 12 and over, €54 (full rate), €27 (half rate).

An increase is payable for each child dependant if you are getting an increase for a qualified adult. If you do not qualify for an increase for a qualified adult, you may get a half-rate increase for a qualified child dependant.

How can I apply for Farm Assist?

Collect Farm 1 at your local Intreo Centre, Social Welfare Branch Office or Citizens Information Centre. Fill it in and and return it to your local Intreo Centre or Social Welfare Branch Office.