Hi mari ,
if it is official error and you have told them of all relevant change of circumstances , then they cannot recover the money , if they get funny about it then tell CAB and or ask for all the info they hold about the issue under the data protection act .
It may cost a little bit of money but could be well worth it .
In this current climate we will see Councils trying to get every penny they can unfortunately.
The DWP handle the admin of Council Tax Benefit and here is what the latest guide says to Benefit recovery
"Is an overpayment recoverable? There are three questions, which must be considered in order to decide whether an overpayment is recoverable.
They are
• Was the overpayment caused by a mistake, whether in the form of an act or omission, by the LA, DWP, HMRC or a person acting on their behalf?
• Did the claimant, a person acting on their behalf or the person to whom the benefit was paid, cause or materially contribute to the mistake, act or omission?
• Could the claimant, a person acting on their behalf or the person to whom the benefit was paid, reasonably have been expected to realise they were being overpaid, either at the time of the official error overpayment or any notice relating to the payments that were made? HB Reg 100 & (Pension Credit) 81; CTB Reg 83 & (Pension Credit) 68
Note: The question of whether an overpayment is recoverable is separate from the question of whether to recover it."
The full HB/CTB guides can be found
here Rich :)
"The difference between 'involvement' and 'commitment' is like an eggs-and-ham breakfast: the chicken was 'involved' - the pig was 'committed'."
