Supports available to you if you’re a farmer
You may be eligible for Farm Assist, a weekly means -tested payment for low-income farmers. iStock
If you’re a farmer, but are finding it hard to manage on the income you take in, what social welfare schemes can help?
You may be eligible for Farm Assist, a weekly means-tested payment for low-income farmers.
Qualification for Farm Assist can also lead to the farmer becoming eligible for the Rural Social scheme.
To qualify for Farm Assist, you must be a farmer, farming land in Ireland, aged between 18 and 66, and you must pass a means test.
You are considered a farmer if you farm land that you own or lease and that you use for the purpose of husbandry (working the land with the aim of taking produce from the land). It is not sufficient for a person simply to own a farm of land.
The current maximum rate of Farm Assist is €244 per week. There are also increases for:
An adult dependant (€162)
Child dependants under 12 (€50 full-rate, €25 half-rate)
Child dependants 12 and over (€62 full-rate, €31 half-rate)
In a means test, the Department of Social Protection examines all your sources of income. To get Farm Assist, your income must be below a certain amount.
Some of the items included in the means test are:
Cash income that you or your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant may have, including income from employment and income and direct payments from certain farm schemes.
There is some cash income not included in the means test. You should speak with your local Citizens Information Centre for more information on this.
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. Contact your local Citizens Information Centre to find out more about capital not included in the means test.
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.
Will I qualify for Farm Assist if I have my land leased out?
If you have leased part of your land, the income from the leasing is assessed in full. None of it is disregarded. If you have leased all your land, you are not eligible for Farm Assist.
To apply for Farm Assist, you should complete the application form, which you can download or pick up from your local Citizens Information Centre or Social Welfare Office.
Are there any additional benefits available to people in receipt of Farm Assist?
There are some extra supports which may be available to you are getting Farm Assist, depending on your circumstances such as:
- Fuel Allowance: a payment to help with the cost of heating your home during the winter
- A medical card: many farmers qualify for medical cards even if they are not getting a social welfare payment (apply on the medical card form or online on www.medicalcard.ie
- Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance
- The Rural Social Scheme
The RSS is aimed at low-income farmer and fishermen/women. In the scheme, you get a ‘top-up’ payment in return for providing services to the community.
Work under the scheme can include maintaining walking routes and bog roads, social care and care of older people, community care for pre-school and after-school groups.
How many hours would I have to work?
You work 19.5 hours per week. These hours are based on a farmer-friendly schedule so participation in the scheme does not affect your farming activities.
Who qualifies to go on the Rural Social Scheme?
To qualify for RSS, you must either be getting Farm Assist or be actively farming and getting another social welfare payment, such as Jobseekers Allowance or Disability Allowance.
To prove you are actively farming you must provide confirmation of your application for the Basic Payments Scheme for the current year and a valid herd number. If you are eligible but do not wish to participate in RSS, your dependent spouse, civil partner or cohabitant can take the available place.
If you are a child/sibling of a herd number owner and you can certify that you are resident and/or working on the farm and you are getting one of the qualifying social welfare payments, you may be eligible to participate in RSS on the basis of your parent’s/sibling’s herd number.
Does a person who is farming have entitlement to any other Social Welfare payments?
A self-employed farmer usually pays Class S PRSI
These Class S contributions cover you for a limited number of payments.
- Maternity benefit
- Adoptive benefit
- Paternity benefit
- Widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s contributory pension
- State Pension Contributory
- Treatment benefit scheme
- Invalidity Pension
Contact your local Citizens Information Service to clarify the eligibility criteria for each of these benefits.
If you’re a farmer, but are finding it hard to manage on the income you take in, what social welfare schemes can help?
You may be eligible for Farm Assist, a weekly means-tested payment for low-income farmers.
Qualification for Farm Assist can also lead to the farmer becoming eligible for the Rural Social scheme.
To qualify for Farm Assist, you must be a farmer, farming land in Ireland, aged between 18 and 66, and you must pass a means test.
You are considered a farmer if you farm land that you own or lease and that you use for the purpose of husbandry (working the land with the aim of taking produce from the land). It is not sufficient for a person simply to own a farm of land.
The current maximum rate of Farm Assist is €244 per week. There are also increases for:
An adult dependant (€162)
Child dependants under 12 (€50 full-rate, €25 half-rate)
Child dependants 12 and over (€62 full-rate, €31 half-rate)
In a means test, the Department of Social Protection examines all your sources of income. To get Farm Assist, your income must be below a certain amount.
Some of the items included in the means test are:
Cash income that you or your spouse, civil partner or cohabitant may have, including income from employment and income and direct payments from certain farm schemes.
There is some cash income not included in the means test. You should speak with your local Citizens Information Centre for more information on this.
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. Contact your local Citizens Information Centre to find out more about capital not included in the means test.
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.
If you have leased part of your land, the income from the leasing is assessed in full. None of it is disregarded. If you have leased all your land, you are not eligible for Farm Assist.
To apply for Farm Assist, you should complete the application form, which you can download or pick up from your local Citizens Information Centre or Social Welfare Office.
Are there any additional benefits available to people in receipt of Farm Assist?
There are some extra supports which may be available to you are getting Farm Assist, depending on your circumstances such as:
Fuel Allowance: a payment to help with the cost of heating your home during the winter
A medical card: many farmers qualify for medical cards even if they are not getting a social welfare payment (apply on the medical card form or online on www.medicalcard.ie
Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance
The Rural Social Scheme
The RSS is aimed at low-income farmer and fishermen/women. In the scheme, you get a ‘top-up’ payment in return for providing services to the community.
Work under the scheme can include maintaining walking routes and bog roads, social care and care of older people, community care for pre-school and after-school groups.
You work 19.5 hours per week. These hours are based on a farmer-friendly schedule so participation in the scheme does not affect your farming activities.
Who qualifies to go on the Rural Social Scheme?
To qualify for RSS, you must either be getting Farm Assist or be actively farming and getting another social welfare payment, such as Jobseekers Allowance or Disability Allowance.
To prove you are actively farming you must provide confirmation of your application for the Basic Payments Scheme for the current year and a valid herd number. If you are eligible but do not wish to participate in RSS, your dependent spouse, civil partner or cohabitant can take the available place.
If you are a child/sibling of a herd number owner and you can certify that you are resident and/or working on the farm and you are getting one of the qualifying social welfare payments, you may be eligible to participate in RSS on the basis of your parent’s/sibling’s herd number.
Does a person who is farming have entitlement to any other Social Welfare payments?
A self-employed farmer usually pays Class S PRSI
These Class S contributions cover you for a limited number of payments.
- Maternity benefit
- Adoptive benefit
- Paternity benefit
- Widow’s, widower’s or surviving civil partner’s contributory pension
- State Pension Contributory
- Treatment benefit scheme
- Invalidity Pension
Contact your local Citizens Information Service to clarify the eligibility criteria for each of these benefits.
App?
