Increased Payment Rates for Higher Level Stewardship Options from 2025

Defra has announced that payment rates for 157 Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) options will increase from the 2025 claim year. The updated rates are intended to provide greater financial support to farmers delivering environmental outcomes through stewardship agreements.

The new rates have been published on GOV.UK and will be applied automatically where applicable. For example, the payment for option HE10 (Floristically Enhanced Grass Margin – Non Rotational) will rise from £485 to £592.67 per hectare.

It is important to note that not all payment rates have increased, for example option HE6 (6m buffer strips on intensive grassland). While some annual rates have gone up, many HLS option payments still remain lower than the equivalent Countryside Stewardship (CS) Mid Tier or Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) options.

Revised payments will be reflected in the December 2025 claim, with updated remittance advice issued to agreement holders. Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) underpinning payments will remain unchanged.

Some HLS agreements include non-standard or negotiated rates, which reflect specific circumstances on individual holdings. These will also be reviewed against equivalent CS or SFI options where applicable.

No action is required to receive the increased rates, but agreement holders are encouraged to:

• Review the full list of new rates on GOV.UK.
• Continue to manage agreements as per option requirements.
• Submit the annual claim form as usual to receive payments.

If you are unsure whether your agreement includes non-standard rates, or would like assistance calculating your updated annual payment, please contact your local Berrys advisor:

Megan Rogers (Kettering) on 07747 625716 email megan.rogers@berrys.uk.com

Tom Harris (Towcester) on 07747 567910 email tom.harris@berrys.uk.com

Maisie Evans (Shrewsbury) on 07971 917984 email maisie.evans@berrys.uk.com

Vicky Price (Hereford) on 07789 986904 email vicky.price@berrys.uk.com