A FAMILY of seven may face eviction after a council bungle left them more than £2,000 in debt and unable to pay next month’s rent.

Jeanette Harvey and Rob Etherington have been overpaid housing benefit since February when they began living together in Priory Green, Highworth.

They say it is because the council forgot to ask them how much in child tax credits they received for their five children.

Despite Jeanette’s claims that she contacted the council querying the £205.97 per week sum, she says they assured her it had been calculated correctly.

Now the council not only wants £2,022 from the family – a sum partially awarded in back pay – it has also slashed their housing benefit to just £67 a week.

“We can’t possibly afford to live on that,” said Jeanette, 38. “Our rent is £850 a month, our council tax bill is £198 a month “All of our children are still growing, school uniforms, nappies all these things cost. We pay all the bills from Rob’s wages, the rent from the housing benefit and the tax credits go on food and clothes for the kids.

“When I phoned the council to tell them I thought it was a bit high, they told me it was correct. Now we will pay the price for their error.”

After 18 months together, Rob and children Sean, 16 and Samantha, 12, moved in with Jeanette and daughters Annabel, 12, Keira, nine and Ella, two.

Jeanette, who has been a single mum for two years, amended her benefits with Swindon Council in February, cancelling her income support as Rob works in the material logistics department for Honda.

“It took 10 weeks for them to award us our new housing benefit as they were constantly checking and re-checking everything, how much Rob made, how much income support I had – even though I cancelled it – she said.

So the couple were surprised when a letter from the council told them they were entitled to £205.97 per week in housing benefit and because of the delay, £2,013 in back payment.

But on July 21 Jeanette and Rob received seven letters each informing them there had been a housing benefit review of their file and each giving new different amounts.

One of the letters said the couple had been overpaid and were required to reimburse the council with £2,022.

“If we can’t sort this out, we will be evicted,” said Jeanette. “I don’t know what to do.”

A council spokesman said: “The back payment that was made was based on the information we had at the time. We subsequently heard from the Department of Work and Pensions, who ultimately assess what claimants are entitled to, that the couple’s benefit entitlement is in fact lower.

“We made the back payment based on the maximum rate. We are continuing to investigate the exact circumstances surrounding this case, which is very complicated, and this will take a little more time.”