Ministers are to bring to an end an “absurd” benefits regime which has seen husbands with multiple wives able to claim extra welfare payments.
Although bigamy is illegal in Britain, men who married more than one woman in countries where the practice was legal and then brought them to the UK have been allowed for years to receive multiple benefits.
Critics claimed the controversial system meant the state is effectively “recognising” polygamous marriages, of which there are thought to be about a thousand in the UK.
The practice is largely confined to Muslim men, who are permitted under some interpretations of Islamic law to have up to four wives in a harem – as long as they spend equal amounts of time and money on each partner.
The system of paying extra benefits for multiple wives was reviewed under Labour in an exercise involving four separate Whitehall branches – The Treasury, the Department for Work & Pensions, HM Revenue & Customs and the Home Office.
The review concluded that recognising multiple marriages which had taken place overseas in the benefits system was the “best possible option” and official guidelines on income support were amended early in 2008.
Hopefully it will stop people from making false claims and rob the British tax payer.
They should make any attempt to remove such benefits because in UK, there is freedom of religion. Once Muslims have been allowed to settle and integrate into British community, all benefits and entitlements due married people must be accorded them in order not to give impressions of discrimination against Muslims on account of their faith.Meanwhile, these men who have more than one wife help to reduce the unmarried women in the community, thereby helping to reduce certain social vices engaged in by unmarried women.
The important thing is that there should be no cheating. No false claims. No dishonesty.
On the other hand issa’s point regarding any men who have more than one wife helping to reduce the unmarried women in the community is really worth supporting in all possible ways!
On that score, I perfectly agree with you. If are a Muslim of your sort, you must truthful in all sincerity.Those who are fraudulent and want to cheat and abuse the system must be found out and punished because they are criminals.I know for such investigations, British intelligent system is unparalleled.If there are Muslims like that they must be ashamed of themselves and change or else the British law will catch up with them.
Muslim men with many wives should be financially supported by muslim taxes only – leave the rest of us out of it
We agree with you that Muslim men who choose to have multiple wives (any men for that matter) will need to look after their additional expenses themselves. It is wrong to expect any taxpayer – Muslim or otherwise – to ‘step in’ …
It is such an interesting topic and it is so rapidly becoming a concern for the Tax Payers in all western countries. I feel tempted to add the Islamic Concept in this regard, for the common interest:-
The compound effect of the Islamic Teachings based upon the following:-
1. Verdicts of the Holy Quran
2. + Verbal Explanations by Hadhrat Muhammad saw
3. + Practical Examples by Hadhrat Muhammad saw and His Caliphs ra
4. + Explanations and instances narrated by Hadhrat Masihe Maud as
5. + Elaborations and rationalizations given by the Caliphs of Hadhrat Masihe Maud as
Is, that a man is held responsible to afford his family for all their BASIC NEEDS.
And in addition, there is no bar on the women to work and add to the family’s subsistence; if she can and wills.
If a man cannot afford it so; then he is expected to abstain from marrying; AND should adapt to live a careful life; and is expected to:-
• Endeavour more to augment his income,
• Keep fasts,
• Act more righteously,
• Deliberately and consciously avoid chances towards sins; and
• Still supplicate to seek help from God to enhance his “affordability”.
Beyond that comes the WELFARE CONCEPT OF THE STATE, for affording those individual requirements which are otherwise not possible for the Low Income Families:-
For example (A FEW ONLY):-
• An individual / child is too good at studies and the parents cannot afford the expenses of higher education.
• An individual / child has a special condition (in movement, in vision, in comprehension) and requires special assistance for which the parents are unable to pay.
• An individual / child is suffering from a disease subject to an expensive treatment which the family is unable to pay for.
• An individual / child is good at sports and reflects the abilities to progress but the parents are unable to afford the essential gears for the game.
There are two social dimensions to it:-
1. Responsibilities of the Parents
2. Responsibilities of the State
THE STATE RESPONSIBILITY BEGINS WHERE THE PARENTAL RESPONSIBILITY (AFFORDABILITY) HAPPENS TO END.
In the Teachings of Islamic Jurisprudence;
The States are expected to collect TAXES for the welfare of their SUBJECTS (BESIDES OTHER PURPOSES) and the TAX MONEY which is spent on the public welfare is ACCOUNTED as “SADAQAT & ZAKAT” = “The Social Supportive Gifts”; which is strictly meant to be spent for “those who deserve”.
Other than that, any claim(s) for SKIMMING THE SOCIAL SYSTEM and/or DRAINING THE SYSTEM TO ONE’S ILLEGITIMATE BENEFIT is STRICTLY PROHIBITED and is construed to mean nothing but a CRIME.
Thank you Shahid for these detailed explanations.
Thank YOU – Rafiq for your kind remark.
May Allah keep us on the right path – Amen.