A man from Blackpool who unlawfully claimed nearly £71,000 in Universal Credit by falsely declaring himself single has been exposed due to a social media post. Colin Hegarty, aged 58, informed the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) that he was single from February 2020 until September 2025, earning £70,967.89 through Universal Credit during this time.
However, DWP investigators discovered that Hegarty was living with a partner. Their inquiries were aided by a Facebook post showing Hegarty’s engagement, which contradicted his claims.
Hegarty pleaded guilty to dishonestly failing to report a change in circumstances affecting his social security benefits. At Preston Crown Court, he was sentenced to ten months in prison, suspended for twelve months, and was ordered to complete 100 hours of community service.
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Lilian Greenwood, Labour Party minister responsible for fraud, emphasised the impact of such fraud, stating that every pound falsely claimed is money diverted from those who genuinely need assistance and public services. She added that fraudsters will be found and urged the public to report any known benefit fraud.
Work and Pensions Minister for Transformation Andrew Western highlighted the government’s commitment to tackling debt evasion and fraud, explaining that the DWP is working to ensure repayments are made and offenders are prosecuted.
Cabinet Office Minister Satvir Kaur reinforced this stance, noting that fraud and unrecovered debt undermine essential public services and confirming the government’s resolve to protect taxpayers by enforcing recent legislation designed to combat benefit fraud.