The CSO has estimated that of all farmers surveyed in its household budget survey approximately 13 per cent have a household income of under £5,000 while 24 per cent have a household income of between £5,000 and £10,000. Data on household income is not recorded for recipients of direct payments, and therefore it is not possible to say what proportion of direct payments goes to farmers in these income categories.
However, data from Teagasc's national farm survey shows that such payments constitute a much larger share of farming income on farms with relatively low farm income than on farms with relatively high farm incomes, as is indicated in the following table.
In the Community Support Framework, under both the operational programme for agriculture, rural development and forestry and the human resources heading, a number of measures are targeted at farms in disadvantaged areas and at people at risk of social exclusion. Low income farm households also benefit from national social welfare provisions and from the early retirement, forestry and agri-environment programmes under the CAP reform accompanying measures.