HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is proposing to married couples and those in civil partnerships to sign up to a £250 tax break this Valentine’s Day (14 February, 2020).

More than 1.78 million couples are already committed to the Marriage Allowance boost, but it is estimated more than 2 million are missing out on up to £250 this year. If their claim is backdated, they could even receive up to £1,150. This is the last chance for eligible couples to backdate their claim for the 2015 to 2016 tax year as the deadline for doing so is 5 April 2020.

Angela MacDonald, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said:

Applying for Marriage Allowance is a quick and easy way for married couples and people in a civil partnership to have £250 or more put back in their pockets.

It’s fantastic to see so many couples have already put a few minutes aside to apply, and we hope many more will sign up this Valentine’s Day to take advantage of this tax relief.

Marriage Allowance lets people with income of £12,500 or less, transfer up to £1,250 of their Personal Allowance to their husband, wife or civil partner – if their income is higher. This reduces their tax by up to £250 for the 2020 to 2021 tax year. Claims can also be backdated four years to April 2015. After 5 April 2020, couples will only be able to claim back to the 2016 to 2017 year.

Customers are urged to cut out the middle man and receive a guaranteed 100% of their eligible entitlement, if they apply directly through HMRC.

Dan De Arriba, 34, an HR adviser from Sheffield, is one of those already signed up. He said:

My wife Jie fell pregnant while she was finishing her PhD, so she did not receive any maternity leave payment. I came across Marriage Allowance on GOV.UK. It helped us financially by transferring some of the tax-free allowance from Jie to me while she was looking after our son and I was working.

It helped us by saving over £200 a year at a time when it was really needed and the process of applying was very easy. I strongly recommend it to anyone in a marriage or civil partnership.

Former Manchester City Council worker Jackie Flanagan, 57, is also receiving Marriage Allowance after applying online with her husband of 35 years, Terry. She added:

It only took 2 minutes and the money was deposited into my bank account. It was so easy!

Customers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland can benefit from Marriage Allowance if all the following apply:

• you’re married or in a civil partnership
• you do not pay income tax or your income is below your Personal Allowance (usually £12,500)
• your partner pays Income Tax at the basic rate between £12,501 and £50,000

For customers in Scotland the same criteria applies, except your partner must pay Income Tax at the starter, basic or intermediate rates between £12,501 and £43,430.

More than 4 million married couples and 15,000 civil partnerships could benefit from Marriage Allowance.

Marriage Allowance claims do not need to be submitted every year because they are automatically renewed. However, couples should notify HMRC if their circumstances change.

Thank you very much, Mr President, and may I join others in thanking Belgium for the convening this important debate. Very pleased, High Commissioner, that you were able to join us and brief the Security Council, and may there are many more occasions where that might happen. And thank you also to our other two briefers.

Mr President, I’ll make three short points.

Firstly, I want briefly to state the reasons that the UK considers accountability for conflict-related crimes so important for peace and security.

Second, I want to acknowledge some of the important developments in transitional justice policy and practice over the last few decades and their relevance beyond the traditionally understood “transition cycle.”

And thirdly, I want to propose that for transitional justice to be more meaningful for sustaining peace, we need to find better ways, and means of connecting it with social, or socio-economic, justice.

Mr President, on my first point, the United Kingdom believes that legal accountability for conflict-related crimes serves as deterrent, punishment, and a method for upholding victims’ rights. Without it, there can be neither reconciliation of communities, nor faith in the functioning of rule of law institutions, nor respect for the rules-based international system.

These are the principles for which my government stands. There should be no impunity for international crimes, no amnesty for gross violations. As a spokesman for the Sudanese government put it on Tuesday, “justice cannot be achieved if we don’t heal the wounds.” And I want to welcome the Government of Sudan’s decision to hold former President Omar al-Bashir and others accountable, which would be a significant step towards a peace settlement in Darfur.

Victims of human rights violations in Myanmar also deserve justice. It is difficult to see how Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh can return to Rakhine State unless they are confident that the perpetrators – in particular, the Burmese military – will be held accountable.

Mr President, on my second point, transitional justice began as an innovative way of enabling justice in post-conflict environments. Over the past 25 years, there have been significant developments in this field and many of the representatives around the table – particularly South Africa and Tunisia – have set out some of these developments in their countries, which was very interesting.

Mechanisms and processes have been increasingly inclusive and nationally owned. The consultative, inclusive and independent manner in which the Gambia established its Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission has shown the benefits of national ownership to secure public confidence.

I also want to welcome the recent verdict by Bangui Court of Appeal in the Central African Republic, holding accountable 28 individuals for war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the killing of 75 civilians and 10 United Nations peacekeepers in the Bangassou area.

Transitional justice processes have assumed an increasingly victim-centered approach. More and more, efforts have been situated in broader institutional reform, including security sector reform. In Afghanistan, transitional justice initiatives have demonstrated what can be achieved in terms of local level reconciliation, even prior to the signature of a comprehensive peace agreement.

This breadth of application across such a range of issues has taught us that transitional justice has relevance far beyond the “transition cycle” traditionally associated with countries emerging from conflict. It can make inroads even amidst ongoing hostilities, and its toolkit can serve states and communities long after a conflict ends.

Notwithstanding these developments, Mr President, the time has come to have a critical conversation about what transitional justice has achieved in terms of building a peace that is sustainable and what more can be done. The root causes of conflict are persistent, and their manifestations are as adaptable as they are pernicious.

This brings me to my final point, Mr President. We now possess evidence that unless there is a proper response to deal with wider social and economic injustices, the root causes of conflict are highly capable of morphing into other forms of violence and discrimination further down the line.

Not only does this risk the achievements of transitional justice being reduced to little more than lip service in the eyes of those affected by conflict, as they continue to experience a wide array of injustices in their daily lives, it presents a real risk of further cycles of conflict and insecurity.

As transitional justice policy and practice continue to evolve, we should start to forge closer links with broader challenges to peace, justice and inclusion. Truth and Reconciliation Commissions in Kenya and Tunisia have shown impressive results in the space, demonstrating that transitional justice mechanisms and mandates are well-positioned to make an increasing contribution to addressing the root causes of conflict.

Thank you.

The Prime Minister has appointed Suella Braverman MP as Attorney General.

The Attorney General will oversee the work of the Law Officers Departments which include the Crown Prosecution Service and Serious Fraud Office, and the Government Legal Department and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate.

The Attorney General also carries out a number of functions in the public interest, such as considering unduly lenient sentences, and taking action when there has been a contempt of court. These functions are carried out independently of their role as a Government minister.

Commenting on her appointment, Attorney General Suella Braverman MP said:

I am honoured to be appointed as Attorney General for England and Wales and look forward to working with the many excellent government lawyers and officials.

I want to thank my predecessor Geoffrey Cox QC MP for leaving me with such a strong record to build upon.

One of my first priorities is to continue the Government’s work in rebuilding confidence in our justice system, particularly with victims.

I am proud to be joining the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), a unique and historic government department that makes law and politics work together at the heart of the UK constitution.

Suella Braverman’s biography:

Called to the Bar in 2005, Suella Braverman specialised in public law and judicial review. From 2010-2015 she was on the Attorney General’s Panel of Treasury Counsel. She has defended the Home Office in immigration cases, the Parole Board in challenges by prisoners and the Ministry of Defence in matters relating to injuries sustained in battle.

Suella Braverman was Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at the Department for Exiting the European Union from January to November 2018. She was elected as the Conservative MP for Fareham in May 2015.

Suella was educated at Heathfield School in London and went on to study Law at Queens’ College, Cambridge. She gained a Masters in Law from the University of Paris 1, Pantheon-Sorbonne and qualified as a New York Attorney.

Seven Honduran scholars spent the academic year 2018-19 studying for Masters’ degrees at a range of UK universities. The Ambassador congratulated the 2018-19 awardees on the successful completion of their studies and for being worthy ambassadors for Honduras during their time in the UK.

The Chevening award is the UK government’s global scholarship programme offered by the UK’s Foreign & Commonwealth Office in collaboration with partner organisations. Since 1983, Chevening has helped to build bridges with more than 160 different countries and territories, supporting the education and development of future leaders, influencers, and decision-makers across the world.

The returning scholars are:

• Walter Javier Hernández, MSc in Business Analytics, University College London
• Jose Javier Davila Fortin, MSc in Telecommunications with Business, University College London
• Sara Eloisa Rivera, MPP in Control of Infectious Disease, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
• Elsa Ramírez, LLM International Business Law, King’s College London, University of London
• María Luisa Izaguirre, MSc International Management, University of Bath
• Melissa Getzabel Ponce, MSc Business Administration, University of Edinburgh
• Joseline Bendeck Cooper, LLM International Commercial Law, University of Glasgow

Chevening has promoted economic development and better business environments worldwide by funding scholars who have gone on to build companies, become directors, and hold senior positions in global organisations.

Application window for 2021-2022 scholarships will open on August 2020. We strongly encourage mid-career professionals to apply for the scheme and sign up for alerts by visiting the Chevening Honduras website.

Published 13 February 2020