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Polygamy in the UK


tegwini

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It does, on first reading, sound quite incredible.  But, unless I am misunderstanding the news article I have read about this, it is not really a "new" ruling, nothing has changed.  The findings of the year-long review allow that the extra benefits "continue to be paid".  So how long  has this actually been going on?

 

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Read to the end where it says that there are only about 1000 cases of polygamous marriages in UK and only a tiny % of these receive benefits. Even so incredible - probably another example of the legal bods giving a wide liberal interpretation , this time of "wife". Frightened of being sued again.
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Since HMRC now accept "Civil Partnerships" equally with marriage, per se (says so on Self Assessment forms!) no need to get married and live in polgyamy.

I'm thinking of living in sin with 20 nubile young ladies as "Civil Partners"!

I'd have a very short life expectancy: however wouldn't have to work any more!

And, what a way to go!

[:D]

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I thought that being married to more than one person was illegal in the UK (and that people could be prosecuted for it).  If this (my understanding) is correct, how then are some UK residents married to more than one person (at the same time) and not being prosecuted ?

Ian
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A DWP spokesman said: 'There are fewer than 1,000 polygamous marriages in the UK and only a small percentage of these are claiming social security benefit.

"We recently reviewed the rules regarding benefit payments to customers in a polygamous marriage, which conclude that the rules in place since 1987 provide the necessary safeguards to ensure there is no financial advantage for claimants in a valid polygamous marriage."

"Where there is a valid polygamous marriage the claimant and one spouse will be paid the couple rate (£92.80).

"The amount payable for each additional spouse is presently £33.65."

"Income support for all of the wives may be paid directly into the husband's bank account, if the family so choose. "

We could always look on the bright side, these bigamous marriages are costing "us" less at £33.65 per extra wife than bona-fide single women/unofficial wives/mistresses... who can claim single person's income support at £59.15. 

 

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Totally off topic, but... if , as you ponder, the plural of spouse is spice, then it works exactly the same way in French too, épouse and épice.  Now isn't that odd?

Don't worry, I'll report myself... (and make a mental note to get out more).

 

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[quote user="Deimos"]

I thought that being married to more than one person was illegal in the UK (and that people could be prosecuted for it).  If this (my understanding) is correct, how then are some UK residents married to more than one person (at the same time) and not being prosecuted ?

Ian

[/quote]

A-ha! Because in the juridsiction where the marriages took place it is legal.

Think of it this way. In the UK I was married in a CofE church - a religious marriage in other words.

But if the same ceremony were conducted in France by an Anglican priest the resulting marriage would not be recognised as legally binding by the authorities. Nonetheless, they very sportingly recognise that where the marriage took place it was legally recocognised and is therefore valid.

Why anyone would want to marry more than one person at the same time, however, is a mystery to me.

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I suppose what I find disappointing is that special rules are being made to allow specific religions beneficial conditions to everybody else.  If having more than wife is illegal under UK law then people who have married more than one (overseas) should not be given additional benefits.  Same laws and rules should apply to all.  Just because Islamic law says you can have up to 4 wives does not mean that UK laws should allow this but only for Islamic people.  Either allow everybody to do it or don't - no special rules for specific religions.

In fact I suspect its all a bit sexist as I have not heard of a Muslim woman being allowed 4 husbands - so how would UK/EU laws of sexual discrimination stand.

Ian
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[quote user="Deimos"]
In fact I suspect its all a bit sexist as I have not heard of a Muslim woman being allowed 4 husbands - so how would UK/EU laws of sexual discrimination stand.

Ian[/quote]

 

Do you know of any woman who might want FOUR husbands?[:'(]

But I agree that the same laws and rules should apply to all.

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The UK at the moment has this simmering anger among the population building up... all due to the way the country is being ripped off as far as benefits are concerned by people coming in. The more the cost of living rises ..the more wages and pensions are kept down .now 3 year wage deals are being imposed on people ...the more the steam in the kettle rises ...It appears the whole country from young couples to the retired are talking about one thing at the moment ....Immigration / Muslims .and the way the governement seems to pander to their every need ....Just this morning a retired guy I had in the car was bemoaning the fact that OAP's are finding it hard to heat their homes due to the cost of fuel  when millions seem to be available to give in benefits to immigrants  flooding in ....money for them not for pensions he was saying .......Now it appears children are being brought  into the UK  for the sole purpose of adding to the size of a benefit claim by some former East European immigrants  . I think we could end up with  dissorder on the streets and very nasty political party one day if this situation is not tackled... and fast ! Even  people coming here are amazed we are actually giving them this money..and their newspapers print articles telling them whats available to them  and how to claim when they get here ... ... Where the money coming from to keep paying these new claims ....not  from more in  taxes people have not got the spare  money to pay more ...they cant make end meet now many of them .

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[quote user="Tresco"]

[quote user="5-element"]...But I agree that the same laws and rules should apply to all. [/quote]

The Archbishop of Canterbury disagrees.[8-)]  I really do find this odd, or even unbelievable.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,,2254075,00.html

[/quote]

I think to get the real answer we should ask the Pope.  After all, he is infallible so his answer must be right (or is it inflammable)

But I agree it strange that he (the Archbishop) should come out with such a comment EXCEPT that I suspect he also wants special treatment in law for at least certain groups of Christians.

What gets even more worrying in the article is that Gordon's spokesperson says that "concessions to sharia law could be made on a case-by-case basis"

I think the Christian based religions are just as keen at having their own special "exemptions" except then don't have a name for it.  Its easy to refer to "sharia law" but it is effectively the same thing when Catholics want to be exempt from equality laws (e.. not having to treat prospective adoption parents who are the same sex equivalently to more traditional couples).

Ian

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Tresco, describing it as 'odd' goes no where near what I feel about this.

This would give more power to an already powerful patriarchal society, just at a time when so many young moslem women are looking to the mainstream of British culture to help them.

Hoddy

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I'm an Anglican; a communicant, a Lay Reader and also a Lay Assistant.

Sadly, I feel the present incumbant in Canterbury is a Bunny Hugging idiot!

He ought to be teaching something really useful like Sociology or Media Studies at an ersatz university in somewhere nice like Nottingham. Suit him perfectly. He could then grow his scruffy beard longer, and campaign for a whole series of Bunny Hugger rights, wearing ripped denims and Doc Martin's Boots.

Can you imagine how the French would react, if we Brits suggested that la Code Napolean be changed, 'cos it didn't suit our religion![:@]

They would, quite rightly, suggest we had a choice of the ferry, Eurostar or air!

 

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