UK: Men with multiple wives getting multiple benefits
Polygamous Muslim husbands settling in Britain with multiple wives can claim extra benefits for their "harems" even though bigamy is a crime in the UK, it has emerged.
Gawd you just know this is going to happen in Minneapolis
Opposition MPs are demanding an urgent change in the law, claiming that the Government is recognising and rewarding a custom which has no legal status and which is "alien" to this country's cultural traditions.
Not to mention the laws humans live under
Islamic law allows a man to take up to four wives, providing he can provide for them fairly and equally.
Welfare is in the Quran, who knew
However, if a husband and his wives arrive and settle in Britain having wed in a country where polygamy is legal, then the UK benefits system recognises his extra wives as dependents and pays them accordingly.
Now where are those 72 wedding contracts...
Tory MP for Monmouth David Davies condemned the arrangements as "appalling", and called for an immediate halt to the payments. He said: "People who come to this country must be prepared to abide by our laws and rules. Polygamy is completely alien to our cultural and legal tradition, and it's disgraceful that our benefits system is recognising and rewarding it.
Good luck with that Davies, really
A spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain said it was quite common for men here to undergo more than one Nikah with different wives. This does not count as bigamy since only the first marriage is legally recognised. A DWP official insisted the rules did not "reward" polygamy, as second wives receive less in benefits than single women. A single person can claim just under £60 per week in jobseeker's allowance, while couples receive up to £92.80, but each 'additional spouse' in a polygamous marriage receives an extra £33.65.
There you go, cheaper by the quarter dozen. Question, how many head of camel does that translate into cause you know they are going to be asking for that next For voting purposes, each extra wife will be counted as 3/5 of a person. |
Posted by: Icerigger 2007-04-18 |