Seasonal worker scheme change backed to help south Lincolnshire growers cope with workforce shortages

In the latest Word on the Ground column, the NFU's Andrea Thorpe backs the Government's changes to the Seasonal Worker scheme...

The government has recently updated its Seasonal Worker scheme guidance which includes a provision to allow returnee workers from 2022 to come back sooner in 2023.

Workers will be able to come back to the UK after five months, rather than waiting the full six months from the end of their 2022 visa.

The NFU has been pushing for a visa rest in recognition of the impacts to recruitment that the Ukraine conflict had last season.

An NFU survey carried out during 2022 revealed that £22 million worth of fruit and vegetables had been wasted directly because of workforce shortages in the first half of 2022 alone.

While this move is only a modest change, it is an important one that will help growers this season and add further weight to our discussions over the length of visas within the scheme.

This update is a further improvement to the scheme, following NFU lobbying which secured a sizeable increase in the number of visas, and the reverting of the inflated Seasonal Worker Scheme wage.

Our members are encouraged to speak to their labour provider as soon as possible to ensure their returnees can take advantage of this important update.