Defra misses deadline on HLS payment updates

Defra has failed to meet its own deadline for releasing updated Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) payment rates, leaving farmers and landowners in England struggling to plan financially.

At the NFU conference in February, Defra secretary Steve Reed announced a £30m increase in HLS payment rates, aiming to bring it in line with other farm support schemes.

In a blog post on 25 February, Defra pledged to publish a table of updated 2025 payment rates and notify agreement holders by April.

However, as of early May, neither the table nor the communications have appeared.

See also: Defra unveils £30m HLS uplift and capital grants reopening

The delay is especially concerning for upland farmers, many of whom depend on HLS to support environmentally sustainable land management.

Low share

Defra’s own analysis shows upland farmers are already receiving a disproportionately low share of Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) funding, underlining the urgency of fair and timely HLS payments.

Tom Cooper, a land agent and chartered surveyor based in Doncaster, said several of his clients were still waiting for vital information.

“The 15 May claims deadline [without reductions] for ELS/HLS schemes is fast approaching, and farmers will be asked to commit again without knowing whether they will be paid in line with the SFI and CS Mid Tier rates, or continue to lag behind on the old rates,” he said.

The NFU, alongside the RSPB, National Trust, and Wildlife and Countryside Link, wrote to Mr Reed in February, urging Defra to address the stagnant HLS payment rates, which have remained unchanged since 2014.

The joint letter also urged Defra to ensure a clear pathway for HLS participants to transition into Environmental Land Management schemes by January 2027.

Timely communication needed

NFU deputy president David Exwood has stressed the need for timely communication to facilitate effective planning.

“Farmers need certainty to run their businesses effectively,” he said.

Natural England’s limited capacity to support the rollout of Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier is adding to farmers’ woes.

With just 700 Higher Tier agreements expected in 2025-26 and 6,000 HLS agreements due to expire by 2028, many fear the system could become overwhelmed.

Defra told Farmers Weekly it was still finalising the payment updates to ensure fairness and would contact agreement holders in due course.