Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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Farm assist is a means-tested income support scheme for farmers. The annual review ensures that the correct level of payment is made to the recipient taking into consideration any changes in their circumstances that may have occurred in the past year.

The annual declaration process requires all farm assist recipients to make a return to the Department with supporting documentation as to income and expenditure over the preceding year. Recipients can set out in some detail changes in their outgoings related to farm expenses from year to year.

Farm assist reviews normally take place between February and May. Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic some reviews which were due to take place in early 2020 were pushed out to later in the year and as a result the review for the person concerned took place in October 2020.

Farm assist reviews for 2021 are currently under way and the claim of the person concerned is being reviewed as are the claims for all other farm assist recipients as part of the annual review process.

I hope this clarifies the matter for the Deputy.