Employment issue advice

The missus has been signed off work for the rest of the month and is leaving anyway. It's been brutal for her and the company have been very nasty. Luckily she starts a new job in January.

One thing though is that her current job have formally requested that she bring back all her work stuff (laptop etc) as it's obviously their property.

Here's my concern, however ridiculous...

If she takes the stuff back to them, might they argue that if she's well enough to bring the stuff in then she should be well enough to work her notice? And thus make trouble for her?

If I personally take the stuff back for her then they are the vindictive type of people who would argue that she's giving confidential stuff to someone else.

Is there a problem here? If so what can be done?