Improve Animal Health and Welfare
Department for Environment, Food and Rural AffairsEnglandup to £1k
Who can apply
Meet minimum livestock numbers -You need at least:11 beef cattle11 dairy cattle21 sheep51 pigsThese minimum numbers must be present each time the vet visits.Livestock must be registered in EnglandYou can only claim for animals kept in England.You must have a valid SBI and CPHYour business must have:A Single Business Identifier (SBI)Linked to a County Parish Holding (CPH) number registered in EnglandCPH numbers not eligible:8,000 series (abattoirs, pet food manufacturers, racing pigeon sites, showgrounds)9,000 series (poultry keepers)You must be responsible for animal welfare on the holdingYou need to be the person who is legally responsible for caring for the livestock at the time of the vet visit.The review must be done by an external vetIf you are a farmer who is also a vet, you cannot conduct your own review you must use another vet.You can claim for one or more species, but funding is paid per species, not per animal.Follow-ups must be on the same species as the initial review.Total allowable reviewsUnder your IAHW agreement, you can have:Up to 3 reviews per speciesUp to 3 follow-ups per speciesAll must be completed by 19 June 2027, and claims submitted by 19 September 2027.
What it funds
There are 2 parts to the service:animal health and welfare reviewendemic disease follow-upYou can choose the vet you want to do these. The review and follow-up are not an inspection or audit. If you are a farmer who is a vet, you cannot carry out your own visit, you must use another vet. As part of your IAHW agreement, you can have up to: 3 reviews on any number of herds or flocks of one or more species from the list of eligible livestock – beef cattle, dairy cattle, pigs or sheep 3 follow-ups o
How to apply
Apply for funding to improve animal health and welfare on GOV.UKwww.gov.uk/guidance/farmers-how-to-apply-for-funding-to-improve-animal-health-and-welfareThis is the online service where you:Sign in using your Rural Payments CRN and passwordStart an Improve Animal Health and Welfare (IAHW) agreementBook and claim for your funded vet visitApplying takes around 5 minutes, and the form is fully online.
Last checked against the official source: 24 Aug 2026. Scheme parameters are set by the funder and can change — verify before applying, or let us do it for you.
Ask about eligibility
Plain-English answers about this scheme's published criteria — not application advice.
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