Guidance
Countryside Stewardship Higher Tier (CSHT) actions affected by Lump Sum Exit Scheme payments
Find out if you need to repay your lump sum payment from the Lump Sum Exit Scheme when you apply for CSHT.
Applies to England
If you’ve received a payment under the Lump Sum Exit Scheme, you must repay it if you want to add any of the listed CSHT actions to your CSHT agreement.
You do not need to repay the lump sum if:
- you retained up to 5 hectares (ha) of agricultural land
- the retained land is the only land you want to enter into the listed actions
If you received the lump sum as a partnership or limited company, you do not need to repay it if only some partners or shareholders left the business.
| CSHT action code | CSHT action title |
|---|---|
| CAB19 | Pollen and nectar flower mix |
| CAB2 | Basic overwinter stubble |
| CAB5 | Nesting plots for lapwing and stone curlew |
| CAB6 | Enhanced overwinter stubble |
| CAB7 | Whole crop cereals |
| CAB18 | Flower-rich grass margins, blocks, or in-field strips (on arable land or permanent crops) |
| CAB17 | Winter bird food on arable and horticultural land |
| CAB10 | Unharvested cereal headland |
| CAB11 | Cultivated areas for arable plants |
| CAB12 | Supplementary winter bird food |
| CAB14 | Low input harvested cereal crops |
| CAB16 | Bumblebird mix |
| CHRW4 | Manage hedgerows |
| CCT3 | Manage coastal saltmarsh and its vegetation |
| CCT4 | Create intertidal and saline habitat on arable land |
| CCT5 | Create intertidal and saline habitat by non-intervention |
| CCT7 | Create intertidal and saline habitat on intensive grassland |
| VED1 | Educational access visits |
| CGS26 | Manage grassland with very low inputs |
| CGS4 | Herbal leys |
| CGS22 | Manage priority habitat species-rich grassland |
| CGS20 | Manage wet grassland for breeding waders |
| CGS19 | Manage wet grassland for wintering waders and wildfowl |
| CGS21 | Manage grassland for target habitats, species or features |
| CHS2 | Take historic and archaeological features out of cultivation |
| CHS3 | Reduce cultivation depths on historic and archaeological features |
| CHS4 | Control scrub on historic and archaeological features |
| CHS5 | Manage historic and archaeological features on grassland |
| CHS7 | Manage historic water meadows through traditional irrigation |
| CHS9 | Restrict crop establishment depth on historic and archaeological features |
| CLH1 | Manage lowland heathland |
| CLH3 | Create lowland heathland |
| CAB2 | Basic overwintered stubble |
| CAB17 | Winter bird food on arable and horticulture land |
| COP3 | Supplementary winter bird food (organic land) |
| CSW7 | Arable reversion to grassland with low fertiliser input |
| CSW8 | Manage intensive grassland adjacent to a watercourse |
| CSW12 | Make room for the river to move |
| CSW13 | Manage grassland to reduce nutrient levels in groundwater |
| CSW15 | Flood mitigation on arable reversion to grassland |
| CSW16 | Flood mitigation on permanent grassland |
| CSW17 | Raise water levels in cropped or arable peat soils to near the land surface |
| CSW18 | Raise water levels in permanent grassland peat soils to near the land surface |
| CUP2 | Manage rough grazing for birds |
| CUP3 | General moorland Management |
| CWD3 | Manage woodland edges on arable land |
| CWD22 | Manage wood pasture and parkland |
| CWD21 | Restore wood pasture and parkland |
| CWD8 | Create scrub and open habitat mosaics |
| CWT1 | Buffer in-field ponds and ditches on improved grassland |
| CWT2 | Buffer in-field ponds and ditches on arable land |
| CGS18 | Manage species-rich floodplain meadows |
| CUP8 | Moderate livestock grazing on moorland |
| CUP9 | Low livestock grazing on moorland |
| CUP10 | Limited livestock grazing on moorland |
| CUP11 | Shepherding livestock on moorland (no required stock removal period) |
| CUP12 | Shepherding livestock on moorland (remove stock for a minimum of 4 months) |
| CUP13 | Shepherding livestock on moorland (remove stock for a minimum of 6 months) |
| CUP14 | Shepherding livestock on moorland (remove stock for a minimum of 8 months) |
| CSP21 | American mink control and management |
| CSP20 | Edible dormouse control and management |
| CSW24 | Manage grassland for flood and drought resilience and water quality |
| CSW23 | Manage features on arable land for flood and drought resilience and water quality |
| CSW22 | Connect river and floodplain habitats |
| CSW25 | Manage riparian and water edge habitats |
| CSW21 | 6m to 24m 3-dimensional (3D) buffer strip |
| CPAC1 | Open access |
| CPAC4 | Footpath access |
| CPAC3 | Bridleway or cycle route access |
| CPAC2 | Access for people with reduced mobility |
| CSW19 | Raise water levels in cropped or arable peat soils |
| CSW20 | Raise water levels in permanent grassland peat soils |
| CAGF1 | Maintain high density in-field agroforestry |
| CAGF3 | Maintain medium density in-field agroforestry |
| CAGF2 | Maintain low density in-field agroforestry on more sensitive land |
| CAGF4 | Maintain very low density in-field agroforestry on more sensitive land |
| CWT1 | Buffer in-field ponds and ditches on improved grassland |
| CWT2 | Buffer in-field ponds and ditches on arable land |
| CCT2 | Make space for new coastal habitat |
| CCT4 | Create intertidal and saline habitat on arable land |
| CCT5 | Create intertidal and saline habitat by non-intervention |
| CCT7 | Create intertidal and saline habitat on intensive grassland |
| CGS20 | Manage wet grassland for breeding waders |
| CGS22 | Manage priority habitat species-rich grassland |
| CLH2 | Restore lowland heathland |
| CGS25 | Legumes on improved grassland |
| CSP9 | Support for threatened species |
| CSP13 | Invasive plant species control and management (lower rate) |
| CSP14 | Invasive plant species control and management (intermediate rate) |
| CSP15 | Invasive plant species control and management (upper rate) |
| CWS1 | Deer control and management |
| CWS3 | Grey squirrel control and management |
| CWT14 | Create fen, reedbed or wetland mosaics |
Contact the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) to discuss repaying a Lump Sum Exit Scheme payment
Rural Payments Agency
PO Box 352
Worksop
S80 9FG
Email: ruralpayments@defra.gov.uk
Telephone: 03000 200 301
Updates to this page
Published 16 October 2025