Guidance

Slaughter Incentive Payment Scheme (SIPS)

Food business operators can claim payment for slaughtering additional pigs.

• From: Rural Payments Agency and Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs
• Published: 15 November 2021
• Last updated: 21 December 2021 — See all updates

This guidance was withdrawn on 19 January 2022

The Slaughter Incentive Payment Scheme (SIPS) is closed. Claims are open until 31 January 2022. Find out more about the revised scheme Slaughter Incentive Payment Scheme 2022.

Applies to England

Defra has been working closely with industry to understand how best to support them in response to the challenges caused by the pandemic, access to CO2 supplies, a temporary shortage of labour (specifically skilled butchers) and the loss of the Chinese market to several processing plants (as a result of the pandemic).

This has led to a growing number of pigs backing up on farm and has impacted the capacity of processors to slaughter and process pigs. Pig prices have fallen and without intervention could rapidly fall very significantly further.

On 14 October 2021, Government announced a package of measures to support the pig industry and to seek to reduce the animal welfare implications of pigs backing up on farms. This package included measures to increase the throughput of pigs through processors.

The Slaughter Incentive Payment Scheme (SIPS) will be administered by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA). The scheme aims to increase the throughput of pigs by contributing towards the extra costs involved in operating additional slaughter shifts at abattoirs.

Scheme dates

The scheme is closed. Claims are open until 31 January 2022.

Eligibility for the scheme

Pigs must be:

• clean (have not been used for breeding)
• a minimum deadweight of 25kg cold weight
• slaughtered and processed in England.

Meat must:

• be cut into 6 bone-in cuts per carcase (2 x legs, 2 x middles, 2 x shoulders)
• either be put into storage under the Private Storage Aid (PSA) scheme for pigmeat in England opening on 16 November 2021, or exported. The cuts must not go to any other end use
• meet the PSA eligibility criteria if put into the PSA scheme.

Shifts must be:

• additional to shifts already agreed with Food Standards Agency (FSA)
• dedicated shifts for pigs to be slaughtered under SIPS
• standalone shifts – either on an additional day or with a distinct break between normal shifts and a SIPS shift
• carried out between 16 November 2021 and 20 December 2021 (inclusive) approved in advance by FSA.

Claims must:

• be one claim for each applicant (a single organisation, not one claim for each abattoir or site)
• contain all information requested in the claim form
• be submitted between 21 December 2021 and 31 January 2022 (inclusive)
• be supported by export certification where the meat has been exported
• be submitted by a person authorised to act on behalf of the business and with the correct permission levels in the Rural Payments service.

How to register

Register in the Rural Payments service

You will need to be registered in the Rural Payments service so that we can pay you. To save time during the claim period, we recommend you do this in advance.

If you are not registered for the Rural Payments service, go to the Rural Payments page and follow the on-screen instructions.

If you’re not able to register online, call the RPA helpline on 03000 200 301 and they will help you to register. Please state that you are a Trader and not a farmer to make sure you get the correct registration with us.

Your bank details must be current to allow us to pay you without delay. If you are already registered with the Rural Payments service but you have changed your bank account details since we last paid you, please call us on 03000 200 301 and select the bank account option.

Register an expression of interest

If you’re interested in the scheme, you can complete a Slaughter Incentive Payment Scheme Expression of Interest form.

You do not need to complete the form to join the scheme, but this will inform RPA about participating abattoirs and assist the Food Standards Agency (FSA) with planning for additional veterinary cover.

How to claim

Claims open on 21 December 2021 and you will need to download, complete and send us a Slaughter Incentive Payment Scheme (SIPS) Claim for payment form together with any supporting evidence by 31 January 2022, so that we can pay you.

Email your claim form to trader@rpa.gov.uk.

Supporting evidence

If you are exporting the meat, you need to provide the following supporting evidence with your claim.

• Export certification
• Where the export certification covers more pigmeat than slaughtered under the SIPS shift, evidence from your records, such as traceability records, to support the weight of pigmeat from the SIPS shift.

Payment

The payment rate for the scheme is set at £3 for every eligible pig. Payment will be made within 28 days of a valid claim being received.

Recovery

If any of the following apply, we may take action to recover payments.

• False or inaccurate statement(s) made by the applicant in the claim form
• False or inaccurate evidence provided by the applicant in support of the claim
• Any overpayment or erroneous payment made by RPA when processing the claim.

Contact us

If you have any questions, or need help, contact RPA.

Email trader@rpa.gov.uk - write ‘Slaughter Incentive Payment Scheme’ in the subject line.

Telephone: 03300 416 500
Opening times: Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm, except bank holidays.

Published 15 November 2021
Last updated 21 December 2021 + show all updates

1. 21 December 2021

   The scheme is closed but claims remain open until 31 January 2022.

2. 15 November 2021

   First published.