Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
There comes a point in utility debt recovery where the conversation changes. At the start, it is usually about arrears, contact attempts, payment reminders and customer engagement. Those are familiar areas for any credit or collections team. But when an unpaid commercial utility account reaches the stage where temporary disconnection may be considered, the process…
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CPI inflation rose to 3.1 per cent in August, up again from 2.9 per cent in July, in line with market expectations, driven largely by higher petrol and diesel prices, the Resolution Foundation said today (Wednesday). With price rises not expected to peak until the winter, the renewed climb has ramifications for families, the Bank…
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A letter can pass every internal check, leave on time and still achieve nothing. Delivery proves that a communication arrived. The real test is whether the customer understood it and could act. The letter passed compliance. The file left on time. The email platform recorded a successful delivery and the account notes show that contact…
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CPI inflation fell to 2.6 per cent in June, down from 2.8 per cent in May, a welcome fall that was slightly larger than expected, and hands the new Government some early breathing space of its own, but it looks set to be short-lived as renewed tensions in the Middle East and rising energy costs…
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The 13 per cent rise in the energy price cap from 1 July – from £1,641 to £1,862 – will have only a small impact on household energy costs over the summer, rising by just £21 for a typical household. This justifies the Government’s decision to hold fire on targeted support until it’s really needed,…
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Scotland recorded 3,517 businesses in critical financial distress in Q4 2025, up from 2,353 in Q4 2024 — a 49.5% year-on-year increase, according to the Business Distress Index compiled by Real Business Rescue. That rise is higher than the UK-wide average of 43.8%, where critical distress nationally reached 67,369 businesses by the end of the…
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The new Ofgem price cap of £1,641, effective from 1st April 2026, represents a 7 per cent (£117) fall on current (Q1 2026) levels, bringing a welcome boost to strained household budgets. The main driver of lower prices is the Government’s £6.9 billion energy discount announced at last year’s Budget, which moves some policy costs from…
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Too often, businesses enter formal restructuring or insolvency processes not because solutions don’t exist, but because the right advice arrives too late. By the time many owner-managers seek help, the pressure has already crystallised into a crisis. Cash has tightened, creditors are restless, lenders are nervous, and leadership teams are exhausted. At that stage, the…
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Two leading think tanks say the freeze on tax thresholds until 2031 is a major stealth tax on working households. The Resolution Foundation estimates 1.7 million people will be pulled into paying tax or into higher bands. The OBR forecasts higher-rate taxpayers rising from 7.2 million to 8.9 million, and additional-rate taxpayers from 1.2 million…
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The Energy Price Cap will unexpectedly rise by £3 a year in January, as a rise in the costs of government policies that are added to energy bills cancels out a small fall in gas prices. The Resolution Foundation says this makes clear that more action is needed in the Budget to cut bills significantly.…
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Headline CPI inflation held steady at 3.8 per cent in September – defying expectations of a rise to 4 per cent – but this welcome surprise comes at the wrong time for the millions of households receiving benefits according to the Resolution Foundation. The September inflation rate is used to determine benefit uprating the following…
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At the Autumn Budget last year, the Chancellor tightened the rules surrounding poor payment practices by introducing deterrents for late taxpayers and encouraging large businesses to improve payment culture. Late payments are responsible for stifling growth, eliminating investment opportunities, and creating serious cash flow shortfalls for SMEs, which subsequently raises the risk of insolvency, hinders…
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Earlier this year, a House of Lords committee delivered a damning verdict on the FCA’s much debated ‘naming and shaming’ plans. Consultation on the regulator’s proposed policy to publish the names of companies under investigation was called an ‘abject failure’ by the House of Lords Financial Services Regulation Committee, which advised that the plan be…
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