Colin Christopher Hegarty falsely claimed over £70,000 in Universal Credit over a five-year period by telling the Department for Work and Pensions he was single whilst living with a partner. His deception was exposed when someone reported a Facebook photograph of him proposing to his girlfriend, which contained comments from friends congratulating the couple. The case demonstrates how benefit fraud can be uncovered through public reporting and social media evidence.

During the period from February 2020 to September 2025, Hegarty received £70,967.89 in benefits to which he was not entitled. Following a public referral in June 2025, investigators gathered evidence including bank statements showing financial links between the couple and social media posts revealing his true relationship status. Hegarty admitted the fraud during interview, claiming he believed declaring a partner would affect payments to another non-dependent in the property, and the DWP is pursuing recovery of all overpaid funds through its debt recovery processes.