diff --git a/app/controllers/schemes_controller.rb b/app/controllers/schemes_controller.rb
index d249d129d..27fa0b44c 100644
--- a/app/controllers/schemes_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/schemes_controller.rb
@@ -26,16 +26,18 @@ class SchemesController < ApplicationController
 
     if @scheme.errors.present?
       render "toggle_active", locals: { action: "deactivate" }, status: :unprocessable_entity
-    elsif deactivation_date_value.blank?
-      render "toggle_active", locals: { action: "deactivate" }
-    elsif params[:scheme][:confirm].present?
-      if @scheme.update(deactivation_date: deactivation_date_value)
-        # update the logs
-        flash[:notice] = "#{@scheme.service_name} has been deactivated"
-      end
-      redirect_to scheme_details_path(@scheme)
     else
-      render "toggle_active_confirm", locals: { action: "deactivate", deactivation_date: deactivation_date_value }
+      if deactivation_date_value.blank?
+        render "toggle_active", locals: { action: "deactivate" }
+      elsif (params[:scheme][:confirm].present?)
+        if @scheme.update(deactivation_date: deactivation_date_value)
+          # update the logs
+          flash[:notice] = "#{@scheme.service_name} has been deactivated"
+        end
+        redirect_to scheme_details_path(@scheme)
+      else
+        render "toggle_active_confirm", locals: {action: "deactivate", deactivation_date: deactivation_date_value}
+      end
     end
   end
 
@@ -146,24 +148,18 @@ class SchemesController < ApplicationController
   end
 
   def deactivation_date
-    return if params[:scheme].blank?
-    return @scheme.errors.add(:deactivation_date, message: I18n.t("validations.scheme.deactivation_date.not_selected")) if params[:scheme][:deactivation_date].blank?
+    return unless params[:scheme].present?
+    return @scheme.errors.add(:deactivation_date, message: I18n.t("validations.scheme.deactivation_date.not_selected")) unless params[:scheme][:deactivation_date].present?
     return params[:scheme][:deactivation_date] unless params[:scheme][:deactivation_date] == "other"
 
     day = params[:scheme]["deactivation_date(3i)"]
     month = params[:scheme]["deactivation_date(2i)"]
     year = params[:scheme]["deactivation_date(1i)"]
 
-    if [day, month, year].any?(&:blank?)
-      { day:, month:, year: }.each do |period, value|
-        @scheme.errors.add(:deactivation_date, message: I18n.t("validations.scheme.deactivation_date.not_entered", period: period.to_s)) if value.blank?
-      end
-    elsif !Date.valid_date?(year.to_i, month.to_i, day.to_i)
-      @scheme.errors.add(:deactivation_date, message: I18n.t("validations.scheme.deactivation_date.invalid"))
-    elsif !year.to_i.between?(2000, 2200)
-      @scheme.errors.add(:deactivation_date, message: I18n.t("validations.scheme.deactivation_date.invalid"))
-    else
+    if [day, month, year].all?(&:present?) && Date.valid_date?(year.to_i, month.to_i, day.to_i) && year.to_i.between?(2000, 2200)
       Date.new(year.to_i, month.to_i, day.to_i)
+    else
+      @scheme.errors.add(:deactivation_date, message: I18n.t("validations.scheme.deactivation_date.not_entered"))
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/app/views/schemes/toggle_active.html.erb b/app/views/schemes/toggle_active.html.erb
index 0d5972d99..41e5b831e 100644
--- a/app/views/schemes/toggle_active.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/schemes/toggle_active.html.erb
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
         ) %>
 <% end %>
 
-<%= form_with model: @scheme, url: scheme_deactivate_path(@scheme), method: "get", local: true do |f| %>
+<%= form_with model: @scheme, url: scheme_deactivate_path(@scheme), method: "patch", local: true do |f| %>
   <div class="govuk-grid-row">
     <div class="govuk-grid-column-two-thirds">
         <%= f.govuk_error_summary %>
diff --git a/app/views/schemes/toggle_active_confirm.html.erb b/app/views/schemes/toggle_active_confirm.html.erb
index af052e890..ed4d6203f 100644
--- a/app/views/schemes/toggle_active_confirm.html.erb
+++ b/app/views/schemes/toggle_active_confirm.html.erb
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<%= form_with model: @scheme, url: scheme_deactivate_path(@scheme), method: "get", local: true do |f| %>
+<%= form_with model: @scheme, url: scheme_deactivate_path(@scheme), method: "patch", local: true do |f| %>
     <% content_for :before_content do %>
       <%= govuk_back_link(href: :back) %>
     <% end %>
diff --git a/config/locales/en.yml b/config/locales/en.yml
index 4f4aab23d..81be77398 100644
--- a/config/locales/en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/en.yml
@@ -314,8 +314,7 @@ en:
     scheme:
       deactivation_date:
         not_selected: "Select one of the options"
-        not_entered: "Enter a %{period}"
-        invalid: "Enter a valid date"
+        not_entered: "Enter a date"
 
   soft_validations:
     net_income:
diff --git a/config/routes.rb b/config/routes.rb
index 7f3d36cac..653d352eb 100644
--- a/config/routes.rb
+++ b/config/routes.rb
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ Rails.application.routes.draw do
     get "edit-name", to: "schemes#edit_name"
     get "support-services-provider", to: "schemes#support_services_provider"
     get "deactivate", to: "schemes#deactivate"
+    patch "deactivate", to: "schemes#deactivate"
 
     member do
       resources :locations do