Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what changes to benefit entitlement for partners in polygamous partnerships has resulted from the introduction of universal credit.

Universal Credit does not recognise polygamous marriages. In Universal Credit, a person who is not party to the earliest existing marriage has to claim as a single person on the basis of their own circumstances, as opposed to being treated as part of a couple. This is a simpler approach that is easier to administer and avoids complexity within the structure of the benefit.