‘Early retirement’ complaints

THE Single Farm Payment was blamed for only a handful of farmers entering the Early Retirement Scheme (ERS) this year, but bureaucracy and other disappointments may also have put farmers off the scheme.

Now, retired farmers have welcomed minor concessions to ease their SFP difficulties, but many farmers are disappointed that they no longer get any ERS pension because the value of their old age pension now exceeds the value of their ERS pension.

The scheme was the fifth biggest cause for complaints by farmers to the Ombudsman’s Office in 2003; it was the subject of 17 complaints.