▁written ▁answer ▁to ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁Commons , ▁" In ▁Great ▁Britain , ▁pol yg amy ▁is ▁only ▁recognized ▁as ▁valid ▁in ▁law ▁in ▁circumstances ▁where ▁the ▁marriage ▁ceremony ▁has ▁been ▁performed ▁in ▁a ▁country ▁whose ▁laws ▁permit ▁pol yg amy ▁and ▁the ▁parties ▁to ▁the ▁marriage ▁were ▁dom ic iled ▁there ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁In ▁addition , ▁imm igration ▁rules ▁have ▁generally ▁prevent ed ▁the ▁formation ▁of ▁pol yg am ous ▁households ▁in ▁this ▁country ▁since ▁ 1 9 8 8 ." ▁ ▁The ▁ 2 0 1 0 ▁Government ▁in ▁the ▁UK ▁decided ▁that ▁Universal ▁Cred it ▁( UC ), ▁which ▁rep laces ▁means - test ed ▁benefits ▁and ▁tax ▁cred its ▁for ▁working - age ▁people ▁and ▁will ▁not ▁be ▁completely ▁introduced ▁until ▁ 2 0 2 1 , ▁will ▁not ▁recognize ▁pol yg am ous ▁mar ri ages . ▁A ▁House ▁of ▁Commons ▁Br ief ing ▁P aper ▁states ▁" T re ating ▁second ▁and ▁subsequent ▁partners ▁in ▁pol yg am ous ▁relationships ▁as ▁separate ▁claim ants ▁could ▁in ▁some ▁situations ▁mean ▁that ▁pol yg am ous ▁households ▁receive ▁more ▁under ▁Universal ▁Cred it ▁than ▁they ▁do ▁under ▁the ▁current ▁rules ▁for ▁means - test ed ▁benefits ▁and ▁tax ▁cred its . ▁This ▁is ▁because , ▁as ▁explained ▁above , ▁the ▁amounts ▁which ▁may ▁be ▁paid ▁in ▁respect ▁of ▁additional ▁sp ouses ▁are ▁lower ▁than ▁those ▁which ▁generally ▁apply ▁to ▁single ▁claim ants ." ▁There ▁is ▁currently ▁no ▁official ▁statistics ▁data ▁on ▁coh ab iting ▁pol yg am