I don't know if the law is the same in England, but in Scotland there is something called "joint and several liability", which means that if two people apply for something, be it benefits, loans, credit etc, then either party can be pursued for the full amount should the other default. As your client would have had to apply jointly with her partner for tax credits, then she can be held liable for the full amount of any over payment. You could try claiming hardship...sorry, I had a moment of weakness there and thought that the IR might actually be true to their word and consider reducing overpayments because of difficult circumstances.
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