Housing Benefit Overpayment

Other

Wonder can you help? we received an invoice in January from our local council demanding overpayment of housing benefit which occured between 03/04/2000 - 01/04/2001, the only information contained on the form was the Tenants name &the property address (as it was so long ago we no longer have any details relating to this person). I wrote to the Council requesting a breakdown &how the overpayment occurred. Firstly I was under the impression that the council must give these details and secondly must give us 28 days to appeal so would like to clarify has the law changed so that they can just make demands like this? I've also been told that they cannot go back further then 6 years but is this the case with the council? I eventually recieved a snotty response to my letter which stated that the tenant vacated the property on the 07/11/00 but the Benefit Service were not informed by the Department of Work &Pensions until 21/01/08 (8 years!) and that if the tenant vacated without informing us then it was a contractual matter. Can you please point me in the right direction. Thanks Karen Greene