Written answers

Tuesday, 10 March 2015

Department of Social Protection

Farm Assist Scheme Administration

Photo of Dara CallearyDara Calleary (Mayo, Fianna Fail)
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171. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason the new application forms for the farm assist income support scheme do not include space for applicants to outline their farm outgoings; if farm outgoings are still included in the assessment process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10211/15]

Photo of Joan BurtonJoan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Farm Assist is a means-tested income support scheme for farmers. To qualify for the payment, a customer must be a farmer, farming land in the State, aged between 18 and 66 and satisfy a means test.

The means test for Farm Assist takes account of virtually every form of income but assesses it in different ways and disregards various amounts. Different rules apply to income from farming and other forms of self-employment, income from certain schemes such as the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (REPS) and Agri-Environmental Options Scheme (AEOS), income from employment and income from property and capital.

The application form for the Farm Assist scheme asks the customer to supply farm receipts and invoices in date order to confirm income, sales, purchases and expenses covering the last 12 months.

This form does not have space to outline their farm outgoings as it would typically not be feasible for customers to list the entire farm operating costs for the previous 12 month period on an application form. However, a customer can supply details of outgoings with the completed application form if they so wish.

An examination of farm outgoings is included in the assessment process and the Social Welfare Inspector takes a detailed account of all operating costs when interviewing the customer. This usually gives the customer a good opportunity to explain both the income generated and the operating costs associated with the farm directly with an Inspector.

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