Australian Muslim families with more than one wife are receiving spousal benefits from Centrelink, it has been claimed.
Polygamous marriages, largely confined to Islamic families, are allowed to claim multiple family tax benefit payments for children living under the same roof, The Sunday Telegraph reported.
The welfare company has confirmed the agency does ‘not hold data based on polygamous relationships or religion’.
Former chief of staff Peta Credlin has revealed how Tony Abbott had fought to ensure such households were not rewarded before he lost his prime ministership.
‘The answer I got back was to fix it could cost more. To be honest there was frustration about how difficult overall rorting in this area was to remedy,’ she told the publication.
‘It’s not the role of government to police people’s bedrooms unless they are breaking the law but nor can it, through policy or indifference, sanction polygamous marriages.’
However, a Department of Human Services spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia families with ‘multiple partners are assessed exactly the same as any other person, under Australian law.
‘When granting income support, the department determines whether a payment is made at the single or partnered rate,’ the spokesperson said.
‘Being in more than one member-of-a-couple relationship has no bearing on that assessment – if you are in a member-of-a-couple relationship then you will be assessed at the partnered rate.
‘Eligibility is determined on an individual’s circumstances and there are no additional payments for having multiple partners.’
