Advice on completing your Universal Actions by the end of the year
SFS advance and balance payments
From 15 October we have been issuing advance payments equivalent to 80% of your anticipated claim value.
We will continue processing remaining advance payments until 3 November. If you have not received your advance payment, please check RPW Online for messages in case there are outstanding enquiries which require your attention.
In November we will be preparing balance/full payments and intend to start issuing payments from mid December, following the full validation of your claim. We cannot calculate your balance payment until you have updated your SFS Universal Dashboard to confirm all your applicable Universal Actions (UAs) are complete.
RPW and Farming Connect integration
The final phase of the SFS Universal Dashboard development will be in place by 1 December. This will automatically update the SFS Universal Dashboard with any KPIs (applicable to UA3) and learning (applicable to UA4) completed with Farming Connect in readiness for balance payment calculations, but only if you have registered with Farming Connect through RPW Online.
Completing your Universal Actions
Most* UAs must be completed by 31 December 2026, with confirmation submitted through your SFS Universal Dashboard by 15 January 2027.
Your SFS Universal Dashboard lists all the UAs which are applicable to your holding.
Please note that UA4 Continuous Professional Development includes a requirement to undertake a mandatory Health and Safety Farming Connect eLearning module (one hour).
You will need to register with Farming Connect to be able to access this module and any other Farming Connect learning you wish to undertake as part of UA4.
We appreciate this is the first year of the scheme, and alongside having to understand what is required for your applicable UAs, you have also been dealing with the challenges of drought impacting day to day farm management.
If you have only been able to partially complete some of your individual UAs we would still like you to update your Dashboard with what you have been able to complete.
For example, if you were unable to complete soil testing on 20% of your parcels as required, but did undertake at least some soil testing please let us know.
Once the SFS Universal Dashboard has been updated and is complete, we will process your SFS Universal Payment, and will issue advisory letters after payments, in relation to any partially completed UAs to help you prepare for completing the UAs fully next year.
*UA7 Designated Site Management Plan (DSMP) does not need to be completed until 2030.
*UA10 Tree and Hedgerow Planting Opportunity Plan. This UA includes a requirement for you to complete a planting plan by the end of this year. The UA also includes a requirement to plant at least 0.1 ha of new woodland, or 250 new trees. This planting does not need to be completed until the end of 2028.
Incomplete Universal Actions and payment reductions
If you inform us you have not completed a particular UA, or if you do not update your Dashboard by 15 January to inform us you have completed a particular UA, a payment reduction will be applied to your total SFS Universal Payment. This will be equivalent to 4% for each uncompleted UA in line with the published verifiable standards and sanctions matrix.
Sustainable Farming Scheme advice at the Winter Fair
Welsh Government staff will be available at the Winter Fair to help with scheme queries and advice. Our main stand is in the Glamorgan Hall, plus we will be opening the Welsh Government Pavilion (opposite NFU Cymru) for you to visit us with any scheme queries you may have.
Please note we will not be able to access your account or help you complete your SFS online records at the Winter Fair, however we can offer general advice on completing your Universal Actions by the end of the year before your SFS balance payment can be released.
Digital assistance
If you need face to face support in accessing or using RPW Online or to update your Dashboard, you can arrange a digital assistance appointment at one of our Regional Offices by contacting the RPW Customer Contact Centre on 0300 062 5004.
You can also contact the RPW Customer Contact Centre or the Farm Liaison Service (FLS) for help and support, including guidance on scheme requirements and record keeping.
Farming Connect support and registration
If you need help registering with Farming Connect, please contact the Service Centre or your local Development Officer on 03456 000 813, who can guide you through the process.
Being registered with Farming Connect will also provide you with access to other subsidised training and advice.
UA12 Animal health and welfare integration with farm assurance schemes
If UA12 Animal health and welfare is applicable to you, we have recently announced we have integrated SFS requirements for the Animal Health Improvement Cycle (AHIC) with the Farm Assured Welsh Livestock (FAWL), Red Tractor and Pasture for Life schemes.
- New arrangements reduce duplication for Sustainable Farming Scheme farmers.
- Written Statement: Integration of UA12 Requirements of the Sustainable Farming Scheme into Participating Farm Assurance Schemes.
Members of these assurance schemes can declare their membership through the SFS Universal Dashboard as evidence that the AHIC requirements of UA12 have been met via successful completion of the animal health and welfare requirements of their scheme. However, it is important to note you must still complete all other applicable UA12 requirements, including the relevant animal welfare requirements and the Biosecurity Assessment for Incoming Stock (BAIS) for 2026 scheme year.
Farmers who are not members of a participating farm assurance scheme are unaffected by these arrangements and should continue to follow the published UA12 guidance and complete all applicable requirements by the end of December. We encourage you to contact your vet as soon as possible, if you have not already done so, to start this process.