A WIDOWER has demanded an apology from blundering council officials after they ordered him to prove his late wife was no longer living with him.
Thomas Hunter, 64, was devastated by a letter from the city council – sent during a crackdown on council tax fraud – saying there was reason to believe his late wife, Doreen, may be sharing his Abbeyhill flat.
Mrs Hunter died from cancer on April 21, 2003, and Mr Hunter has been living alone ever since.
After his wife passed away, he sent a copy of her death certificate to council officials in order to claim single person household discount – which he has been receiving until now.
But just over a week ago, he received a letter asking for proof that he was living alone, and naming his wife as the person suspected of living with him.
The city council has now apologised for the blunder, which it says was down to "technical issues".
Retired lorry driver Mr Hunter, of Brand Place, said: "It really hurt me, getting this out of the blue, especially with it being close to the anniversary of her death.
"I've written them a letter demanding an apology, and I want an apology from Jenny Dawe herself. Why would they do this when they have already got a copy of the death certificate?
"Why is the council acting as God and resurrecting people just so they can claim extra council tax? I'm utterly disgusted with them. Fair enough, they're looking to get all the people fraudulently living together, but they were notified that my wife is dead."
The Evening News revealed last week that £1.2 million has been clawed back by the council following a review of people who claim single person household discount.
Last September, the authority launched a crackdown on council tax cheats, amid fears that thousands of households were fraudulently claiming the discount. The review accounts for around 4000 cases, although this also includes residents whose circumstances have changed.
The letter received by Mr Hunter said: "Please confirm what link they (Doreen Hunter] have to where you live in writing within 14 days of the date of this letter. Failure to do so will result in the loss of your single person's discount."
A council spokeswoman said: "Our external partner, Experian, had some technical issues which led to a small number of errors in reviewing claims for single person allowances.
"We are now aware that the information gathered, in this case, was incorrect and apologise profusely to Mr Hunter for any distress this caused. We will be writing to him to clarify the situation.
"We are working with Experian to ensure that similar problems don't occur in the future."
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