Council trying to claw back HB

[Hoppinggreen]

Mil owns a property she lets out and has had a letter from her local council asking her to pay back around £1000 in HB that a previous tenant claimed fraudulently.
This tenant left 6 years ago and mil has not seen or heard from him since, he actually did a runner owing her money and did some minor damage but apparently he was working while claiming the HB cash in hand so wasn't entitled to it and now they are demanding MIL pays it back.
She had no knowledge that the tenant wasn't entitled to HB and it can't see how it's up to her to check this rather than the council themselves.
Does anyone know where she stands on this? Fil is very ill in hospital so I am trying to help her sort it out.
Thank you

Bumping because I understood the council could no longer do this.

I had no idea this could happen!!! Why the hell aren't they pursuing the ex tenant?

No idea seb
I would imagine that they have a better chance of tracking him down than mil!!!
Hopefully someone with legal knowledge will be able to confirm they can't do this and what laws to quote at them when we tell the Council to bugger off!

unfortunately the council can do exactly this, although not all councils do.

check on the website of the council concerned to see what their policy is.

As an aside, landlords will also soon be responsible for checking the immigration status of tenants - this is already the case in some areas. Make sure she is aware.

Thank you.
She is unlikely to be renting to anyone else on HB now unfortunately and is even considering selling, which she didn't want to do as it is her later mothers house.