An ‘outrageous’ loophole which hands extra benefits to husbands with multiple wives will be scrapped by a future Conservative government.
Kemi Badenoch will this week pledge to stop additional money going to polygamous households in a move to end the ‘rewarding’ of ‘damaging cultural practices’.
Polygamy is illegal in the UK but the welfare system recognises marriages – which are permitted under sharia law – as long as they tied the knot overseas. Additional spouses therefore receive extra cash on top of the standard couple rate.
For pensioners, a spouse claiming benefits gets £125.25 per week in pension credit and a further £125.25
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