From 22nd January 2026, payments for both the Animal Health and Welfare Review and the Endemic Disease Follow-up will increase.
These changes reflect inflation and are intended to help farmers continue accessing high-quality veterinary support, while ensuring vets have sufficient time to provide a thorough and valuable service.
Any eligible animal health and welfare review or endemic disease follow-up carried out on or after this date will be paid at the higher rate. On average, payments will increase by 16% across the species covered.
New payment rates for animal health and welfare vet visits
The table below shows the current and updated payment rates for each species.
| Species | Animal health and welfare review | Endemic disease follow-up | ||
| Current | New | Current | New | |
| Pigs | £557 | £648 | £923 | £1,087 |
| Sheep | £436 | £574 | £639 | £658 |
| Beef Cattle | £552 | £647 | £837 | £954 |
| Dairy Cattle | £372 | £447 | £1,714 | £1,844 |
| Biosecurity (all cattle) | – | – | £215 | £258 |
How to access animal health and welfare payments
If you already have an agreement
If you are an existing agreement holder, you do not need to take any action at this stage.
Once the increased payment rates are in place in January, the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) will write to you with a variation to your agreement’s terms and conditions reflecting the updated funding levels.
If you do not yet have an agreement
To receive funding through the Improve Animal Health and Welfare (IAHW) scheme, you must:
- Keep at least 11 cattle, 21 sheep or 51 pigs
- Apply for and have an approved IAHW agreement in place
Your agreement must be approved before you begin any actions following your animal health and welfare review or endemic disease follow-up. Work carried out before your agreement start date will not be funded.
You will need your Rural Payments service Customer Reference Number (CRN) and password to apply. The application process typically takes around five minutes.
What to expect from an animal health and welfare review
During the animal health and welfare review, a vet of your choice will assess livestock health, welfare and on-farm conditions. This includes animal condition, housing, nutrition, water provision and handling.
Your vet will:
- Review disease risks and biosecurity, including how disease could enter or spread and how it is currently controlled
- Carry out required disease testing by taking samples for specific endemic diseases, depending on your livestock type
- Discuss medicine use and opportunities for improvement, including reviewing antibiotics and agreeing priority actions
After the visit, you will receive:
- A written summary with clear recommendations
- A plan to manage disease and improve animal welfare
- A baseline to help measure progress over time
Endemic disease follow-up visit
The endemic disease follow-up is an optional, funded vet visit that builds on your animal health and welfare review. It focuses on controlling specific endemic diseases affecting your animals.
During the visit, your vet will:
- Review disease issues and test results, and discuss what these show
- Assess current disease control measures and identify where improvements could be made
- Agree a practical disease control plan with clear actions to reduce disease risk and improve animal health
After the visit, you will receive:
- A targeted disease control plan
- Advice tailored to your farming system
- Support to help deliver long-term improvements
This follow-up visit helps ensure that changes made after your initial review are effective and delivering real benefits.
Frequently asked questions
When do the increased vet visit payment rates start?
The higher payment rates apply to any eligible animal health and welfare review or endemic disease follow-up carried out on or after 22nd January 2026.
Do I need to do anything if I already have an agreement?
No. Existing agreement holders do not need to take action. The RPA will issue an updated agreement variation once the new rates are in place.
How many animals do I need to qualify for funding?
You must keep at least 11 cattle, 21 sheep or 51 pigs to be eligible for an Improve Animal Health and Welfare agreement.
Further information
The RPA has produced a series of short videos explaining how to claim funding for pigs, sheep, beef cattle, dairy cattle and the endemic disease follow-up for cattle. Please note that these videos reference the previous payment rates.