The situation on the ground demonstrates the urgent need to make progress towards a Two State Solution

Thank you President. I join others in thanking Mr Wennesland, Mr Lazzarini and Mr Levy for their valuable briefings today.

Let me start by welcoming the two-year anniversary of the Abraham Accords this month. The Abraham Accords are a historic milestone that bring us closer to the goal of shared prosperity and peace throughout the region.

President,

As we stated at the emergency session on 8 August, the UK welcomes the ceasefire in Gaza and we reiterate our calls for the parties to make every effort to sustain it. It is critical that humanitarian access in and out of Gaza is ensured, in accordance with International Humanitarian Law.

We were appalled by the terrorist attack in Jerusalem on 13 August. The UK unequivocally condemns any and all acts of terrorism. Our thoughts are with the victims and families of those affected. We reiterate our unwavering commitment to Israel’s security. This conflict has taken a terrible toll on both sides. We are concerned at the record number of Palestinians killed by Israeli security forces this year and urge Israel to show restraint in the use of live ammunition and to ensure a thorough and transparent investigation into all fatalities.

President,

We have been clear about our concern over the Israeli government’s decision last year to designate six Palestinian NGOs as terrorist organisations. The subsequent raids on the offices of seven Palestinian NGOs, and arrests of their staff, are equally concerning. Civil society organisations play an important role in upholding human rights and democracy and they must be able to operate freely in the Occupied Palestinian Territories. We continue to engage with a number of these organisations.

President,

We call on the Israeli authorities to halt plans to advance evictions at Khan Al Ahmar and on the E1 settlement plan. Advancing E1 would seriously hinder a two-state solution. Settlements are contrary to International Humanitarian Law.

This month we also saw demolition orders issued in Masafer Yatta and against a donor-funded school in Ein Samiya. Such demolitions cause unnecessary suffering and in all but exceptional circumstances are contrary to international law.

The UK is a long-standing supporter of UNRWA for the vital role they play in providing core services and humanitarian and protection assistance to Palestinian refugees across the region. We were pleased to announce at the pledging conference in June that we have agreed a new multi-year funding agreement with UNRWA and will provide £15m this year.

The situation on the ground demonstrates the urgent need to make progress towards a Two State Solution that ensures a safe and secure Israel, living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian state based on 1967 lines, with Jerusalem the shared capital of both states. The UK remains committed to working with all parties to reduce tensions and take steps towards a sustainable peace.

New Deputy Government Actuary

News story

The new Deputy Government Actuary has been named as Matt Gurden. His most recent role was was as a GAD Actuarial Director. The appointment followed an open competition.

The Government Actuary’s Department (GAD) has announced that the new Deputy Government Actuary has been named as Matt Gurden. The appointment followed an open competition for the role.

The Government Actuary Martin Clarke said: “Matt Gurden has an impressive track record of actuarial consulting in both the private and public sectors across a very broad range of areas.

“I congratulate him on this appointment, and I look forward to working closely with him in providing professional and business leadership to the Government Actuary’s Department and in developing the valuable contribution that actuaries make within the public sector.”

Management and oversight

Matt’s most recent role was as the GAD Actuarial Director for Clients, Growth and Development. He is a member of the Management Board and Executive.

He provides Management Board oversight for 2 GAD teams – Specialist Actuarial and the Analytical Solutions Team. He is also the chair of the Thought Leadership Oversight Group.

New role

Matt Gurden said: “I am delighted to be named as the new Deputy Government Actuary. It’s an exciting time to be part of GAD as we expand our client offer across the public sector.

“My role as Actuarial Director means I’ve had the opportunity to take the strategic view of the work we undertake to support our clients. GAD’s areas of expertise continue to include insurance, investment, data science, modelling and quality assurance, as well as pensions and social security.”

Matt joined GAD in 2011 after working in a variety of roles in several private sector actuarial consultancies.

Published 25 August 2022

21 Argentines will study in the UK with Chevening scholarships

World news story

The British Ambassador welcomed at her Residence the group of young Argentines who were awarded Chevening scholarships.

The group of 2022/2023 Chevening scholars with HMA Kirsty Hayes

On Tuesday 23 August, the Ambassador Kirsty Hayes bid farewell to the 21 Argentine scholarship holders who will leave for the UK to do their master’s studies for a year, wishing them a safe and successful trip.

In her speech, the Ambassador congratulated the scholars and appreciated the diversity of courses and universities chosen by the young students who will spend a year in the United Kingdom.

The Chevening scholarships allow outstanding young leaders to carry out postgraduate studies at a British university of their choice with all the expenses covered.

Applications to study during 2023-2024 are open from 2 August to 1 November 2022. Apply today at https://www.chevening.org/apply.

Complete list of 2022/2023 scholars

Aguilera, Manuel – MPA Innovation, Public Policy and Public Value – University College London
Benavídez Lo Bello, Lucía Mariel – MSc Human Rights and Politics – London School of Economics and Political Science
Bergia, Agostina – MPP Public Policy – University of Oxford
Bonelli, Bárbara – MSc in Urban Development Planning – University College London
Brizuela, Agustina – MPA Innovation, Public Policy and Public Value – University College London
Bulat, Santiago – MSc Development Economics -University of Sussex
Caprarulo, Joaquín – LLM Master of Laws – London School of Economics and Political Science
Casalia, Joaquín – LLM Master of Laws – London School of Economics and Political Science
Colli, Kevin Emilio – MSc Leadership for Sustainable Rural Development – Queen’s University Belfast
Fourcade, Azul – MA Anthropology of Development and Social Transformation – University of Sussex
González, Guadalupe Andrea – MSc Social Data Science – University of Essex
Guerrero, Gonzalo – LLM Master of Laws – London School of Economics and Political Science
Itoiz, Kevin – MA Governance, Development and Public Policy – University of Sussex
Modernel, Jonathan Alexander – MSc Social Research Methods – London School of Economics and Political Science
Moreno, Teófilo – MA Governance, Development and Public Policy – University of Sussex
Novillo Funes, Sofía – MSc Gender (Sexuality) – London School of Economics and Political Science
Pesce, Martina – MSc Public Health for Development – London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Piazza, Matías Nicolás – MSc The Political Economy of Emerging Markets – King’s College London
Semenzato, Rosario – MSc Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship – London School of Economics and Political Science
Steuermann Waibsnaider, Ezequiel Natan – LLM Master of Laws – London School of Economics and Political Science
Walsh Astuena, Agustina Malena – MSc Global Strategy & Sustainability – University of Edinburgh

Published 25 August 2022

1.1 million families claiming tax credits to receive first Cost of Living Payment from 2 September

This £326 government payment will be paid automatically into eligible tax credit-only customers’ bank accounts between 2 and 7 September 2022. The first HMRC payments will total around £360 million.

Nadhim Zahawi, Chancellor of the Exchequer, said:

I know people are really concerned by rising prices so I’m glad that over a million more low earners will shortly receive their first Cost of Living Payment. We are also preparing options for further support so the new Prime Minister can hit the ground running.

Alongside £400 off most people’s energy bills, tax cuts and the Household Support Fund, these direct payments are a very important part of our £37 billion package of help for households, which is targeted at those who need it most.

Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s Deputy Chief Executive and Second Permanent Secretary, said:

This first Cost of Living Payment will provide vital financial support for eligible tax credit-only claimants across the UK. A second payment will be made to eligible customers from the winter.

The money will be paid automatically into bank accounts, so people don’t need to do anything to get this extra help.

These latest payments mean that more than eight million eligible households in receipt of a means-tested benefit will have received the first of two automatic Cost of Living payments of £326 from 14 July. The second means-tested payment of £324 will be issued later this year – from the autumn for Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) benefit claimants, and from the winter for tax credit-only customers.

Tax credit claimants who also receive benefits from the DWP will have already received their first Cost of Living Payment from July 2022.

The Cost of Living payments from the government are part of a £37 billion package of support, which will see millions of low-income households receive at least £1,200 this year to help cover rising costs.

As well as the Cost of Living Payment, other government support includes:

£400 discount from the government to help with the cost of energy bills from October onwards
£150 council tax rebate for council tax bands A-D in England
£300 Pensioner Cost of Living Payment that will be paid alongside Winter Fuel Payments
£150 Disability Cost of Living Payment from 20 September for those receiving an eligible UK disability benefit

This is all in addition to changes to the Universal Credit taper rate and work allowances worth £1,000 a year on average for 1.7 million working claimants; a rise in the National Living Wage to £9.50 an hour; and a tax cut for around 30 million workers through a rise in National Insurance contribution thresholds.

The government is offering help for households. Customers should check GOV.UK to find out what cost of living support they could be eligible for.

How payments will be made, and how to identify them

There will be a specific identifier when the first payment from HMRC arrives in customers’ bank accounts.

The payment reference will be: ‘CL’; followed by the customer’s National Insurance number (of two letters, six numbers, one letter); followed by ‘0001AX’.

For example, if the National Insurance number is AB123456C, the payment reference would appear as ‘CLAB123456C0001AX’.

For joint claimants, where one claimant receives Working Tax Credit and the other claimant receives Child Tax Credit, payments will be made into the same bank account as the Child Tax Credit.

Customers do not need to apply for this payment. If customers are eligible through receiving tax credits only, HMRC will make the Cost of Living Payment automatically into the bank account where claimants already receive their tax credits. Customers might find that their payment is delayed if they have recently closed the bank account their tax credits are usually paid into.

If customers have not let HMRC know that their bank account has changed, HMRC will pay the money into their old bank account, meaning the payment will be rejected. If this happens, HMRC will follow this up by letter to the customer, letting them know that we need updated bank details.

Payments schedule

The latest payment schedule information will be updated on 26 August to show that the first tax credit payments will be made between 2 and 7 September.

Tax credit-only customers, who will receive the first Cost of Living Payment in September 2022, must have been entitled, or later found to be entitled, to a payment, or an annual award of at least £26, of tax credits for any day in the period 26 April 2022 to 25 May 2022.

A second Cost of Living Payment will be made to eligible tax credit-only customers from winter 2022. Payment schedule information will be updated with more specific payment dates in due course.

Contact HMRC

If customers believe they are eligible but have not received a payment between the published payment dates, they should wait until 16 September at the earliest to contact us, to allow time for their payment to be processed. We won’t be able to provide customers with any further information before this date.

You can find phone numbers, and other ways to contact HMRC about tax credits on GOV.UK.

Background

Cost of Living payments were announced in May 2022.

Details of DWP and HMRC payments were publicised in June, July and August 2022.

Protect yourself from scams

Beware of scams targeting Cost of Living payments. If someone contacts you about Cost of Living payments saying they are from HMRC, it might be a scam.

You don’t need to apply for this payment. We will never ask for your bank details by SMS or email. Don’t let yourself be rushed.

Check GOV.UK to:

British Embassy San Jose: call for bids 2022/2023

World news story

The British Embassy in San Jose is now accepting project proposals for the period of 1 October 2022 to 28 February 2023.

Thematic areas

The British Embassy in San Jose, Costa Rica, with responsibility for Nicaragua, is aiming to support short-term interventions valued at up to US$30,000 that focus on promoting and protecting human rights in Nicaragua.

We welcome proposals from legally constituted non-governmental, non-profit, charity and multilateral organisations. Unfortunately, we are unable to consider project proposals submitted by companies or for-profit organisations.

Proposals may cover any of the following areas of work:

Modern Slavery
Media Freedom
Promotion of Human Rights

Kindly note that, under this programme, we are unable to cover projects where the main focus is on gender and equalities issues like LGBTI+ rights, women’s rights and rights of persons with disabilities.

We are looking for projects that deliver real, measurable results in support of the abovementioned priority areas in Nicaragua and are particularly interested in proposals aimed at the following objectives:

supporting the rights of marginalised groups, including through the prevention of human rights violations and strengthening of protections for groups such as women and girls, indigenous communities and migrants;
supporting media freedom, including strengthening of responsible journalism and improving the enabling environment in which freedom of the press is protected and respected.

Funding exceptions

Please be aware that project funding cannot be used to finance the following:

Cash cards, money transfers or seed capital;
Purchase of groceries and household supplies;
Purchase or maintenance of IT or capital equipment;
Communications-related services, such as communications strategies, campaigns, advertisements (for example, in newspapers or on social media), website creation and/or maintenance, video production. If in doubt, please contact the Embassy for clarification.

Project bid guidance

Projects will be funded for the period running from 1 October 2022 to 28 February 2023, with no expectation of continued funding beyond this period;
Project bids should demonstrate 50% spend by 15 December 2022 and 100% spend by 28 February 2023;
Proposals must be submitted in United States Dollars (USD) currency;
Minimum project budget limit: $5,000;
Maximum project budget limit: $30,000.

Project bids will be assessed against the following criteria:

Alignment with the above-mentioned thematic priorities and outcomes;
Outcomes are achievable within the funding period (1 October 2022 to 28 February 2023);
Project design includes clear monitoring and evaluation procedures, as well as risk and financial accountability procedures;
Evidence of sustainability – demonstrating that project benefits continue after the funding ends;
Alignment with the Paris Agreement, demonstrating that a climate and environmental risk and impact evaluation was done and no environmental harm will be done;
The organisation’s safeguarding policies ensure protection of beneficiaries, tackle discrimination and ensure equality of opportunity for those with protected characteristics;
Overall value for money;
Administration costs should not exceed 10% of the total project budget.

Key dates

19 September 2022 (midnight): Deadline for receipt of project proposals;
30 September 2022: Implementers informed of bidding round outcome;
1 October 2022 and onwards: Projects begin;
15 December 2022: Projects to achieve 50% implementation and spend;
28 February 2023: Projects to complete all activities, achieve 100% spend and submit draft project completion report.

Bidding process

Proposals must be submitted in English using the relevant Project proposal form;
Proposal Form (up to US$10K or above US$10K) and Activity Based Budget templates are provided below;
All proposals must be received by midnight on 19 September 2022 (Central American time). Late proposals will not be considered;
Proposals must be submitted to Denise.Lewis@fcdo.gov.uk with the subject line “Call for bids 2022/2023 – Organisation name – Project Title” and include a point of contact in the body of the email;
Successful bidders will be notified by 30 September 2022.

Additional information and documentation

All implementers will be expected to sign a standard FCDO contract or grant agreement with the Embassy. The terms of the contract or agreement are not negotiable.

As all projects are expected to have achieved 50% spend by 15 December 2022, Activity Based Budgets must reflect this requirement.

Published 25 August 2022