Tories pledge to end 'outrageous' loophole that hands extra benefits to husbands with multiple wives under sharia law

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 in housing benefit.

It means a household with one husband and four wives can claim a combined £1,504.40 per week in pension credit and housing benefit – or £78,229 per year. That is £39,406 more than the maximum amount a typical couple receives.

Government sources insist people do not profit from polygamy, however there is no limit to how many you can claim for, meaning a household with 11 wives could get £170,175.

It is expected Labour will not support the proposal, being put forward on Tuesday in Parliament by Mrs Badenoch and Richard Holden, the Tory MP campaigning to ban cousin marriage. He said: 'Taxpayers... will be furious that they are supporting relationships of men to multiple wives.

'Our welfare system should not reward damaging cultural practices that are rightly illegal. My Bill would scrap this outrageous arrangement.'

Marrying multiple wives has been a crime in Britain for 400 years. But it is allowed if 'lawful in the country where it took place'. Polygamy is fully or partially legal in 58 mostly Muslim-dominated countries in the Middle East, Africa and parts of Asia.

The Tories' proposal also includes banning benefits for those in incestuous unions and cousin marriages.

An investigation by this newspaper found those in close marriages or products of the 'backwards' relationships are significantly more likely to claim benefits. Analysis shows a rise of a quarter in the handouts in areas where the practice is more common.

In Bradford, where one in six are born to parents who are cousins, disability benefits are 23 per cent higher than average. Experts say it is down to the risk of birth defects when parents are closely related.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said there were very few claimants from polygamous households, adding: 'Our immigration rules have generally prevented the formation of polygamous households in this country since 1988.'