(a) The Chief, or designee, may grant relief by extending benefits or payments in accordance with Sec. 635.5 when any participant that has been determined to be not in compliance with the requirements of a covered NRCS program, and therefore ineligible for a loan, payment, or other benefit under the covered program, if the participant, acting in good faith, relied upon the action or advice of an NRCS employee or representative of the United States Department of Agriculture, to the detriment of the participant.
(b) This section applies only to a participant who relied upon the action of, or information provided by, an NRCS employee, or representative of USDA, and the participant acted, or failed to act, as a result of that action or information. This part does not apply to cases where the participant had sufficient reason to know that the action or information upon which they relied was improper or erroneous or where the participant acted in reliance on their own misunderstanding or misinterpretation of program provisions, notices or information.