"Multiple wives will mean multiple benefits," by Jonathan Wynne-Jones for the Telegraph.
Husbands with multiple wives have been given the go-ahead to claim extra welfare benefits following a year-long Government review, The Sunday Telegraph can reveal.
Even though bigamy is a crime in Britain, the decision by ministers means that polygamous marriages can now be recognised formally by the state, so long as the weddings took place in countries where the arrangement is legal.

The outcome will chiefly benefit Muslim men with more than one wife, as is permitted under Islamic law. Ministers estimate that up to a thousand polygamous partnerships exist in Britain, although they admit there is no exact record.

The decision has been condemned by the Tories, who accused the Government of offering preferential treatment to a particular group, and of setting a precedent that would lead to demands for further changes in British law.

New guidelines on income support from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) state: "Where there is a valid polygamous marriage the claimant and one spouse will be paid the couple rate ... 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. Under the deal agreed by ministers, a husband with multiple wives may also be eligible for additional housing benefit and council tax benefit to reflect the larger property needed for his family.

The ruling could cost taxpayers millions of pounds. Ministers launched a review of the benefit rules for polygamous marriages in November 2006, after it emerged that some families had benefited financially....

Chris Grayling, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said that the decision was "completely unjustifiable".

"You are not allowed to have multiple marriages in the UK, so to have a situation where the benefits system is treating people in different ways is totally unacceptable and will serve to undermine confidence in the system.

"This sets a precedent that will lead to more demands for the culture of other countries to be reflected in UK law and the benefits system."

Mr Grayling also accused the Government of trying to keep the ruling quiet because the topic is so controversial.

wuhu! that's it! i'm emigrating to olde blighty!

Fackin' Eurabia innit?

That's right , you turn up with your fleet of "chicks" and completely bollocks up the economy.

£33.65 times 4 is £134.60 ...

fark! i'm gonna be rich!

Yes , 2.5J a week, and there are plenty more benefits to add on top of that. I reckon many Indonesian hhouseholds could do quite well on 2.5J per week.

Typical of the UK let a load of robbing fucking bastards in -

they could do very well, only if they also lived in indonesia!

i presume the cost of living in auld blighty is considerably more expensive than here in tanah air.

Beer's cheaper down the offie...that's about it.

E's are cheaper ... down to quid a pill in parts

Brad. Mate. What do you think about the idiots above who post inane shit on a topic that you obviously feel very strongly about. Don't hold back now.

E's for a quid? Time to move.

Loves his Mick Mills does Piss.

He does not know the essence of the freedom of expression!

Express yourself with wives!! The more wives the more I express

high-protein diet. absolutely essential.

Fuck me, this bastard takes the biscuit. Kuku, you are way down the league tables here!

Nigerian man to divorce 82 wives
A Nigerian religious leader with 86 wives has accepted an Islamic decree ordering him to divorce all but four of them, local authorities say.

A spokesman for the emir of Bida told the BBC that Mohammadu Bello Abubakar, 84, agreed on Saturday to comply with the decree.

Last week one of Nigeria's top Islamic bodies, the Jamatu Nasril Islam, sentenced him to death.

The sentence was lifted but he was threatened with eviction from his home.

For full story...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7591037.stm