The Rural Payments Agency (RPA) has confirmed that Higher Level Stewardship (HLS) payments for 2025 will start in December 2025. This follows the increase in HLS payment rates announced in May 2025. Here’s what you need to know.
When you’ll receive your payment
Payments for 2025 HLS agreements will start in December. You’ll also receive a remittance advice showing the total value of your payment for 2025. This advice won’t show a breakdown by individual options.
Why HLS payment rates are increasing
HLS payment rates haven’t changed for over 10 years, leaving them behind other schemes like Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) and the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI).
The government is investing £30 million to increase HLS rates so farmers can continue to:
- Restore habitats and support rare species
- Preserve historic features
- Maintain traditional landscape features
This investment recognises the vital role farmers play in delivering environmental benefits alongside food production.
What’s changing
- 157 HLS options are getting a payment increase.
- The increase is 34.4% of the difference between your current HLS rate and the equivalent CS or SFI action.
- New rates apply from 1 January 2025, and payments will be increased automatically – you don’t need to do anything.
How the increases were calculated
- 157 options will increase.
- 23 HLS options that already pay more than CS/SFI equivalents won’t change.
- 22 HLS options with no CS/SFI equivalent also stay the same.
The Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) part of your agreement remains unchanged.
How to calculate your new rates
Standard rates:
Use the payment tables on GOV.UK to see how much each option will increase.
Non-standard rates:
- Find your non-standard HLS rate in your agreement
- Find the equivalent CS/SFI rate from the published table
- Subtract your HLS rate from the CS/SFI rate
- Take 34.4% of that difference
- Add this to your original HLS rate – this is your new rate
The RPA is updating its systems to generate these calculations for each agreement holder. Your remittance advice will confirm the total payment value when payments begin in December 2025.
For more information, see the Increase in payment rates for Higher Level Stewardship from 2025 guidance on GOV.UK.
Further help & advice
For further help and advice, please contact our Stewardship & Grants team on 01981 590514.