FSA clarifies payments on behalf of deceased producers

Important Dates
Aug. 31 - CRP Emergency Haying ends
Aug. 31 - 2017 Expiring CRP reenrollment deadline
Sept. 1 - 2018 NAP Fall-Seeded Annual Crops sales deadline
Sept. 1 - 2018 NAP Value Loss Crops sales deadline
Sept. 1 - 2018 NAP Controlled Environment Crops sales deadline
Sept. 1 - 2018 MPP-Dairy election begins
Sept. 4 - FSA Office closed for Labor Day
Sept. 10 - CRP Emergency Haying reporting deadline
Sept. 12 - County Committee Election Workshop at 11:00 a.m. at FSA Office
Sept. 15 - CRP Emergency Haying bale removal deadline
Sept. 15 - CRP Managed Harvesting ends – remove all bales
Sept. 25 - CRP Managed Harvesting reporting deadline
Sept. 30 - CRP Emergency Grazing ends – remove all livestock
Sept. 30 - CRP Routine Grazing ends – remove all livestock
Ongoing - Continuous CRP sign-up
 
Payments to deceased producers
In order to claim a Farm Service Agency (FSA) payment on behalf of a deceased producer, all program conditions for the payment must have been met before the applicable producer’s date of death.
If a producer earned a FSA payment prior to becoming deceased, the following is the order of precedence of the representatives of the producer:
•Administrator or executor of the estate.
•The surviving spouse.
•Surviving sons and daughters, including adopted children.
•Surviving father and mother.
•Surviving brothers and sisters.
•Heirs of the deceased person who would be entitled to payment according to the state law.
In order for FSA to release the payment, the legal representative of the deceased producer must file a form FSA-325, to claim the payment for themselves or an estate.
The county office will verify and determine that the application, contract, loan agreement, or other similar form requesting payment issuance, was signed by the applicable deadline for such form, by the deceased or a person legally authorized to act on their behalf at that time of application.
If the application, contract or loan agreement form was signed by someone other than the participant who is deceased, FSA will determine whether the person submitting the form has the legal authority to submit the form to compel FSA to pay the deceased participant.
Payments will be issued to the respective representative’s name using the deceased program participant’s tax identification number. Payments made to representatives are subject to offset regulations for debts owed by the deceased.
FSA is not responsible for advising persons in obtaining legal advice on how to obtain program benefits that may be due to a participant who has died, disappeared or who has been declared incompetent.
Call Fraser Norton, 507-283-2369 ext. 2, at the Rock County FSA Office or e-mail fraser.norton@mn.usda.gov.