This has really set me off. I'm in a fortunate position of having the money to pay the fees. I don't like it, but I can.
There are a lot of couples out there that combined just qualify with the £18,600 requirement. At £1,875 for ILR, that's more than 10% of their gross annual salary. Seriously, it is all about money. I bet there is a big rise in illegal overstays as a result...