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[juuule]

"Polygamy benefits

People in polygamous marriages are to be allowed to continue to claim income support, after a review found that the current system does not unfairly favour them, the Department for Work and Pensions said. Although marriage to multiple spouses is a crime in Britain, the welfare system recognises as valid polygamous marriages that take place in countries where such arrangements are legal. "
www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article3300749.ece

How can this be okay? Or am I missing something?

Squonk - I don't know, but it seems to me that the councils/HAs actually own a lot of small flats/houses that were designed for smallish families. I assumed that larger houses, to accomodate multiple wives and sets of children would have to be aquired as social housing - perhaps through private landlords.

But if you are living here and claiming benefits, how can a polygamous marriage be recognised for the purpose of calculating the benefits if it's against the law of this country? Why can the law be ignored in some instances but not in others?

hmm, I get your point, upwind.

But (certainly round here) there are very very few council/HA houses available so the vast majority of housing benefit claimants live in privately rented accommodation. I guess I am just assuming that the rest of the country is similar which, of course, is quite probably not the case.

I still think though, that these are two separate issues and to bundle them in as one issue detracts from the strength of either argument.

Anyhoo, am off to sort out lunch now

indeed mercy i agree

however if you are a british citizen, take a british wife then go back to country of cutlural origin and marry again becuase yourreligeon says you can - then bring that wife back to uk

is that right?

this is quite diferent from granting citisanship to a man with two wives from a country where this is allowed IMO