Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Almost 200,000 small businesses have fallen into arrears on their bounce-back loan repayments. Data from the British Business Bank (request by Purbeck Personal Guarantee Insurance) found that the company administering the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS), shows that 193,000 firms had failed to meet their repayment terms at the end of June. The figures represent…
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New data from HR, payroll and finance expert MHR reveals eight in ten (78%) employees believe the UK is heading for a recession, with nearly a quarter (23%) of poll respondents fearing their employer would not make it through one. Organisations across the UK and Ireland are tackling record inflation levels, up 7.9% in the 12 months to May…
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Sidetrade has revealed that agriculture companies in the UK increasingly paid supplier invoices late in Q2 2022, hinting at possible cash flow struggles within the sector. The Sidetrade Unpaid Invoice Tracker shows almost one-fifth (17.3%) of invoices issued to UK agriculture companies were deemed overdue* on average in Q2 2022, compared to 12.0% in Q1…
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The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) has told banks to improve the treatment of struggling small business borrowers. As part of its work in response to the increased cost of living, the FCA has told banks they must treat small business customers fairly when collecting and recovering debts. A review of 11 bank’s collection practices identified…
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One in five businesses are struggling to be competitive as inflation hits 40 year high according to Time Finance. The company has revealed the extent of the cost of doing business crisis, with 91% of UK SMEs forced to hike their own prices in order to keep up with soaring operational costs. The alternative finance…
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Despite the plethora of innovative new software on the market, nearly half (49%) of financial professionals are still using Excel spreadsheets to log information and updates on customer payments into their business according to research by Visma | Onguard. The figure represents a slight increase on 2021 levels (46%), highlighting that the industry’s reliance on…
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Business outsourcing specialist Sigma Connected has been awarded a contract by business energy and water operator Yu Energy to provide contact centre support for outbound collections. The results Sigma Connected has delivered has already seen the team increase by 50% in order to handle more accounts. The contract is being operated by Sigma Connected from…
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Coface’s 2022 Asia Corporate Payment Survey has highlighted the credit risks in the Asia-Pacific region. The report found that improved economic conditions in 2021 contributed to a notable fall in the duration of payment delays across Asia-Pacific, dropping from 68 days on average in 2020 to 54 days in 2021, the lowest level in 5…
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New analysis by Thomson Reuters has found that over 200 of the UK’s biggest companies have underpaid VAT by an average of £13.4 million each, leaving HMRC £2.7 billion short. Thomson Reuters says that the £13.4 million figure relates to tax under consideration, which is an estimate of the amount of VAT HMRC believes has…
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The number of UK sectors reporting a fall in output doubled in May, as inflation continued to drive down demand for goods and services, according to the latest Lloyds Bank UK Sector Tracker. Six out of the 14 sectors monitored by the Tracker saw overall output contract, compared to three in April. This was the…
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Credit Connect’s hosted its second Online Commercial Credit & Collections Conference last week which saw trade credit, insolvency, business change and technology discussed by sixteen leading credit, collections and insolvency professionals. Commenting on the event, event panel speaker Charles Mayhew CEO from Global Debt Recovery and Litigation said “I was delighted to be on the…
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Intrum’s annual European Payment Report (EPR), a survey of 11,000 companies across 29 European countries, shows that businesses are expecting late payments to grow significantly in the coming months, following the rising inflation and interest rates with UK businesses less likely than their European peers to make growth a priority. Across Europe, growth is slowing…
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HMRC has announced that interest rates for late payments will be revised following the Bank of England interest rate rise to 1.25%. The Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee voted on 16 June 2022 to increase the Bank of England base rate to 1.25% from 1%. HMRC interest rates are linked to the Bank of England…
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