Credit, Collections & Insolvency News
Latest Red Flag Alert research from Begbies Traynor has revealed a considerable 43.8% year-on-year increase in ‘critical’ financial distress in Q4 2025. Throughout 2025, UK businesses continued to grapple with a prolonged period of economic uncertainty, rising operating costs driven by inflation and higher wages, increased tax burdens, elevated interest rates, and weakened consumer demand. The persistence…
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Business confidence weakened this month over concerns about the global economic outlook, according to the latest Lloyds’ business barometer. The survey reported a net balance of 44% in January, down from 47 per cent in December, driven by a 14-point drop in businesses’ net economic optimism. However, businesses’ expectations for their own activity rose by…
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Trade credit insurer Atradius has issued a red flag to the motor industry as new data reveals a sharp rise in claims for unpaid and late invoices. Failed and late payment claims against automotive businesses, including OEMs, original equipment manufacturers, component manufacturers and dealerships, have risen 78% year-on-year (Nov 2025). Claims across the wider transport sector,…
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Pubs and music venues in England will be given a 15% discount on their business rates bills from April and will not see increases for two years. It comes after a backlash against November’s Budget, which left many facing major increases in their business rates bills, and led to more than a thousand pubs banning…
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Research by Capital on Tap has compared average wages across major UK cities to track how the cost of everyday goods and services changes over time. The analysis shows where real earnings are falling furthest behind and which regions are under the greatest financial strain. The data showed that Reading tops the list of where…
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More than one in five SMEs say international trade tariff disputes remain the biggest challenge facing their business, according to new research from FTSE 250 lender Paragon Bank. Nearly a year since Donald Trump set out a range of global tariffs and as geopolitical tensions continue over Greenland, the study of 1,000 small and medium-sized…
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New research from Direct Line Business Insurance shows late payments are worsening across the trades sector, with over two-thirds (68%) of tradespeople currently chasing at least one overdue invoice, with the average amount owed standing at £2,023. Over half of the trades sector (53%) says they are experiencing more late payments than a year ago..…
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Optimism in the UK’s economic future among small businesses has tumbled heading into 2026, according to new research from iwoca. The research found that less than two-fifths (38%) of small businesses were optimistic about the UK economy, down from 51% last year. When asked about their main concerns for their business this year, nearly half…
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New analysis from UK Hospitality has revealed that six hospitality venues could close every day in 2026, if the Government doesn’t introduce a hospitality-wide solution to avert significant business rates increases in April. The analysis shows the scale of potential closures and forecasts that 963 restaurants, 574 hotels and 540 pubs would be set to…
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Latest analysis by BDO of retail sales showed that December marked the worst set of total monthly sales figures since November 2024, with total like-for-like retail sales dropping by -1.4% in December. In-store sales fell by -0.5% and online sales by -0.6%, compared to December 2024, as sales volumes declined across channels. This follows disappointing…
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New research from Novuna Business Finance has revealed a five-year peak in the percentage of small business owners (84%) who are starting 2026 with plans to invest in new growth initiatives to make their enterprises stronger for the year ahead Following a challenging trading period in 2025, during which the percentage of small business owners…
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Business confidence in the UK has fallen, according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), with only 46% (compared with 48% in Q3) of companies expecting increased sales this year and 24% saying they expect to see a decline in turnover. The survey saw 63% of firms polled cite tax rises as their primary concern,…
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Hospitality leaders say the Budget has failed to deliver real business rates reform, leaving pubs and hotels facing steep increases in their rateable values—some of which could rise fivefold by 2029. They warn this will accelerate closures and push more venues into distress, undermining communities and local economies The analysis from UKHospitality reveals that small…
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