IR ESA and purported Partner's income

Abc01

A couple (man, woman) are living together in the same flat but they don't do things together (besides taking joint care of their children as far as I can tell).

The woman is in receipt of IR ESA Support Group and passported Housing Benefits. The woman said to me that she thought the man got a temporary job working about 16 hours per week after the DWP stopped his New Style JSA about September 2021. 

However the DWP has requested the woman to provide the payslips of the man since September 2021 as they have evidence that the man is receiving about £1300 per month otherwise they would suspend her ESA payments. The woman brought the matter to the man and the man, according to her, told her he didn't receive no letter from DWP and if the DWP needs anything from him they must write him personally.

The woman appeared to be in distress as she doesn't know how to plead with the man to disclose the payslips so that she could then send them to DWP.

Can anyone advice on what options available for the woman so that she doesn't lose her ESA and her passported Housing Benefits?

Also what are likely situations where the man's temporary job stated 16 hours but appeared based on the purported income mentioned by DWP he could probably be working over time hours? 

poppy123456

If they are a couple then the person claiming ESA should have told ESA that they are a couple and her ESA would include an amount for the partner.

Any earnings the partner receives that's more than £20 per week would affect the claimants ESA and reduce it £1 for £1. If the person is working more than 24 hours per week then entitlement to Income Related ESA ends.

If any part of the ESA is contributions based then this will not be affected.

As she's the main claimant of the ESA claim then it's correct that all letters would be addressed to her, they wouldn't contact the partner. She really does need to send DWP what they've asked for, otherwise the ESA could be suspended.