Standing Up for Farmers

Wendy at a farm in North East Fife.

North East Fife is home to over 844 farms, from livestock to arable, and everything in between. I know from talking to constituent farmers that the planned budget changes to Agricultural Property Relief (APR) and Business Property Relief (BPR) will have serious implications for the futures of many farms, farms that have been passed down through generations. For some, it may result in the sale of the family farm.

But some farmers do not even have this option: tenant farmers. Some tenant farmers can pass on their tenancy as part of their inheritable estate. These circumstances are not exclusive to Scotland, but are significantly more common here due to the Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 1991. Such tenants do not have the option of selling land to pay any tax simply because it is not their land to sell. Having highlighted this particular group on a number of occasions, I’ve now coordinated a cross party letter on the issue to the Chancellor.

Farmers are already facing unprecedented pressures, from increased fuel costs, fertilizer costs, feed costs and increasingly unpredictable weather. Given the seasonal nature of produce and the life cycles of livestock, farmers do not rely on a consistent income throughout the year. This does mean that some are reliant on benefit support, previously Working Tax Credits. With the transition to Universal Credit, some are finding it no longer provides the support that they need and is administratively unsuited to farming generally. I have raised this in Parliament and have recently met with the Minister for Social Security to discuss it. The government are open to engaging if they are shown that this is a wide spread issue. If you are a farmer and are experiencing difficulties transitioning to Universal Credit, please consider filling out this quick form to show the Minister the impact of the move on farmers as part of the Government's ongoing review of the benefit: https://forms.gle/uJyqSkLhusVNXnhY8

The uncertainty that farmers face has undoubtedly impacted their mental health. I am pleased to have supported last week’s Yellow Wellies UK’s ‘Mind Your Head’ campaign which advocates for farmer’s mental health and provides additional support.

The UK Government’s changes are making farming harder, and that is the last thing farmers need. If you need any support or want to share your experience with me, please do get in touch at wendy.chamberlain.mp@parliament.uk.