Labour accused of ‘traumatising’ farmers in inheritance tax raid amid warning over psychological well being disaster | EUROtoday

Rachel Reeves has been accused of “traumatising” farmers together with her new inheritance tax raid on a sector already grappling with a psychological well being disaster.

Farmers must pay 20 per cent of tax on inherited agricultural property value greater than £1m from April underneath modifications introduced within the Budget final Wednesday.

Coupled with will increase in employees’ minimal wage and nationwide insurance coverage for employers, farmers say the “tractor tax” will kill off generations-old household farms throughout the nation.

But there are additionally fears that the controversial transfer might exacerbate a psychological well being disaster within the trade, which secretary of state for rural affairs, Steve Reed, mentioned had the best suicide fee of any sector within the UK in May.

Stockton West MP Matt Vickers instructed The Independent that farmers’ lives had been being overturned by the measures within the Budget.

He mentioned: “We know that farmers are disproportionately placed to have issues with mental health, we see higher suicide rates because they are out there alone in the elements and all the challenges that come with that.

“When you speak to the people I have spoken to since last Wednesday, and you hear the trauma. Literally their lives are being overturned.

“That place where they grew up, that place where they farmed all their lives. This has the potential to wipe them out. Pulling the rug like that from people is horrendous.”

He added: “The government just don’t appear to understand what is to be a farmer, they don’t understand that these people often work for very little in return and because they have some large assets, they are wealthy people.

“These people often have cash flow problems, they work all day and night for a very low return.”

North Cotswold MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown spoke in parliament on Monday to lift the difficulty of a 75-year-old farmer residing in his constituency who mentioned the inheritance tax measure would “destroy everything I have ever worked for”.

Speaking to The IndependentSir Geoffrey, who can also be a farmer, mentioned the tax might impression greater than 70,000 household farms. The Treasury says most estates won’t be impacted, with 500 farms yearly paying the tax.

Farmers don’t have a tendency to depart the farm, typically solely see their companion aside from skittles as soon as per week on the pub. They get low and depressed, after which go quiet. It’s once they go quiet that they’re most prone to taking their lives

Rupert Cox, farmer

He mentioned: “If I were there thinking about the inheritance tax, why would I invest in that farm – we need people to invest in farms and modernise to boost productivity, it really is not only bad on a personal basis, as people worry and get mental health problems, it’s also on the business side as well. It impacts the farmers and the farms themselves.”

Former NFU president Minette Batters instructed The Independent that the Budget announcement, together with the modifications in farming assist insurance policies and excessive climate circumstances, had produced the “perfect storm” for farmers’ poor psychological well being.

Farmers had been going through difficulties over the phasing out of funds underneath the widespread agricultural coverage for brand new environment-led subsidies, whereas poor climate meant some had been unable to plant crops final 12 months, she mentioned.

Gareth Wyn Jones, a farmer in north Wales, mentioned underneath modifications within the Budget he would be the final technology of his household in farming after 375 years on the land.

He mentioned: “Levels of mental health in farming have never been lower – this [the Budget] is another dark cloud to come above the agricultural sector – people don’t know if they will be able to afford the inheritance tax on a bereavement, they think they will have to sell up.

“No doubt there will be collateral damage from this, people in farming communities are suffering right now.”

Farmer Rupert Cox is co-ordinator of a psychological well being venture known as Farmeradoes based mostly in Somerset which holds pop-up farmhouse kitchens for farmers to share their issues.

The 63-year-old took over his father’s arable farm of 200 acres close to Langport in January this 12 months. He mentioned: “It’s a very challenging time. Most farmers are not gobby, they are people who don’t tend to leave the farm, often only see their partner apart from skittles once a week at the pub.

“They get low and depressed, and then go quiet. It’s when they go quiet that they are most at risk of taking their lives.”

With each day challenges, rural isolation and lengthy working hours, greater than a 3rd of farmers are doubtless presumably or most likely depressed, in response to a survey by the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution in 2021.

In the identical 12 months, Office of National Statistics figures confirmed there have been 36 suicides recorded amongst these working within the farming and agricultural trade in England and Wales.

Mr Reed, talking on BBC’s Farming Today on Tuesday, mentioned: “I understand the anxiety that people in the farming community, that farmers, feel about any changes being proposed.

“Changes after several decades of a system operating one way are always going to be unnerving.”

A authorities spokesperson mentioned: “Ministers made clear that the vast majority of those claiming relief will not be affected by these changes. They will be able to pass the family farm down to their children just as previous generations have always done.

“This is a fair and balanced approach that protects the family farm while also fixing the public services that we all rely on. We remain committed to working with the NFU and listening to farmers.”

If you might be experiencing emotions of misery, or are struggling to manage, you possibly can converse to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), e mail jo@samaritans.org, or go to the Samaritans web site to seek out particulars of your nearest department.

This is a free, confidential disaster hotline that’s out there to everybody 24 hours a day, seven days per week. If you might be out of the country, you possibly can go to www.befrienders.org to discover a helpline close to you.