Debt collection agencies news

• Hiring a Debt Collection Agency – Why Regulated Agencies Matter

  18-06-2026 15:52 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  New findings from UK Debt Collection News have highlighted just how much rests on the choice of debt collection agency—and how many businesses overlook one crucial question before they hire: is that agency actually regulated?
  The research paints a stark picture. Companies that choose to partner with the wrong debt collection agency risk far more than the failure to recover their money. They expose their reputation, their legal standing, and their hard-won brand. Those that work with a prop
  
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• ‘Arrogant’ Businessman Jailed After Transferring £3 Million to avoid paying Debts

  15-06-2026 18:06 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  A property businessman who breached a director disqualification order for over a decade has been jailed for four years after orchestrating an elaborate scheme to move £3 million out of reach of his creditors just weeks before his assets were due to be liquidated.
  Tariq Sarwar, 59, of Gore Lane in Alderley Edge, was sentenced at Manchester Crown Court on 12 June 2026 for fraud anticipating winding-up and two counts of acting in contravention of a disqualification order. His co-defendant, Ch
  
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• BBC appoints new Debt Recovery partner as Licence Fees evasion hits 12.5%

  12-06-2026 17:54 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  The BBC has appointed debt collection company Themis Recoveries to pursue households suspected of avoiding the television licence fee, adding a dedicated recovery partner alongside its long-standing contractor, Capita. The move follows a sharp rise in evasion and reflects growing financial strain on one of the UK’s oldest television broadcaster..
  According to a Commons public accounts committee report, the broadcaster is losing an estimated £550 million each year through non-payment.
  
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• HMRC spends over £5m in one month on Debt Collection services

  30-04-2026 11:44 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  HM Revenue & Customs has dramatically ramped up its use of private debt collection firms, spending more than £5 million in a single month as the government steps up efforts to claw back billions in unpaid taxes — with small businesses bearing the heaviest burden.
  Figures reveal that HMRC’s payments to TDX, the debt recovery coordinator it uses to manage multiple collection agencies, climbed to £5.2 million in February 2026 — a jump of 73% compared to January. Ac
  
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• Debt Collection firm served with Winding Up Petition

  23-04-2026 15:34 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  UK debt collection company McVicar Debt Collection Ltd based in Preston, Lancashire is facing renewed legal pressure after being served with a second winding up petition within a year, whilst also carrying an estimated £36,000 in unpaid County Court Judgements.
  Public Court records confirm that a winding up petition — Case Number CR-2026-002883 — was filed on 14 April 2026 and is currently listed as open. The petitioner is Adviser Services Holdings Limited, represented by Harpe
  
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• Medical tech firm crashes into Liquidation

  15-04-2026 09:19 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  An Oxfordshire-based medical technology company that spent over a decade developing cutting-edge patient monitoring systems has entered liquidation, leaving behind millions of pounds in liabilities and raising questions about the sustainability of innovative but cash-hungry healthcare startups in the UK.
  Isansys Lifecare Limited, headquartered at Milton Park in Abingdon, was a pioneering UK-based medical technology company known for its innovative patient monitoring systems. LLP Site Its collap
  
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• New Business Late Payments Legislation unveiled

  25-03-2026 11:26 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  The Government has introduced new legislation aimed at protecting small businesses by ensuring companies pay their suppliers within 60 days. Late payments could now result in significant fines, and boards will be required to disclose payment terms in their audit reports.
  Under the new measures, the Small Business Commissioner will gain expanded powers to investigate poor payment practices, resolve disputes, and impose fines on repeat offenders. These fines could amount to tens of millions for co
  
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• Scotland sees sharp rise in Business Distress

  10-03-2026 14:15 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  The number of Scottish businesses in critical financial distress surged to 3,517 in Q4 2025, marking a 49.5% increase compared to the same period in 2024, when the figure stood at 2,353.
  This alarming rise, revealed by the Business Distress Index from Real Business Rescue, outpaces the UK-wide average increase of 43.8%. Across the UK, 67,369 businesses were in critical distress by the end of the quarter.
  Scotland’s higher-than-average increase highlights the unique challenges faced by its
  
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• January sees a rise in Personal Insolvencies

  23-02-2026 18:04 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  The latest monthly figures from the Insolvency Service for England & Wales have indicated that personal insolvencies increased by 12% in January 2026 compared to January 2025, rising to 10,843 from 9,644. Personal insolvencies were 20% lower than in December 2025, when numbers were affected by a temporary backlog.
  The personal insolvency data consisted of 780 bankruptcies, 3,847 debt relief orders (DROs) and 6,216 individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs).
  The 6,216 IVAs registered in January
  
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• 43.8% rise in Businesses suffering Financial Distress

  02-02-2026 15:45 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  The latest Red Flag Alert research from Begbies Traynor has revealed a significant 43.8% year-on-year increase in ‘critical’ financial distress during Q4 2025.
  Throughout 2025, UK businesses faced ongoing challenges stemming from prolonged economic uncertainty, rising operating costs driven by inflation and higher wages, increased tax burdens, elevated interest rates, and weakened consumer demand. The continuation of these pressures into 2026 is heightening the likelihood that tens o
  
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• Spike in Divorces in January may raise Personal Debt Levels

  27-01-2026 13:13 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  Often dubbed ‘divorce month’, January has long been recognised as the time of year when family lawyers see a significant rise in people seeking to end their marriages.
  Current Google data supports this trend, showing that UK searches for ‘divorce’ during the week beginning 11th January reach their highest point in the past 12 months.
  Family law firms also report a sharp increase in enquiries at the start of the year. Stowe Family Law has recorded a 20% rise in divorce and
  
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• Best 10 Credit Control Tips for UK Businesses in 2026

  05-01-2026 11:17 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  Cash flow remains the lifeblood of any UK business. In 2026, navigating the financial landscape requires more than just making sales; it requires ensuring that the money owed to you actually lands in your bank account.
  Without robust systems in place, even profitable companies can face insolvency simply because they ran out of cash.
  This guide explores the best 10 credit control tips designed to fortify your financial position this year. Whether you run an SME or a large corporation, these strat
  
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• Business Insolvencies Surge Amid Economic Pressures

  18-11-2025 14:42 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  The number of businesses collapsing in England and Wales has seen a sharp increase, with 2,029 companies going insolvent in October—a 17% rise compared to the same month last year, according to the Insolvency Service. This also marks a 2% increase from September.
  Experts warn that insolvencies may become more frequent as businesses struggle with escalating costs, reduced consumer confidence, and ongoing economic uncertainty. Larger firms are also feeling the strain, with a nearly 20% rise
  
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• FCA Regulated Debt Collection Agency enters Administration

  24-09-2025 10:44 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  Scott and Mears Credit Services Enters Administration
  Scott and Mears Credit Services Ltd, a prominent name in the UK’s debt recovery sector, has officially entered administration, ceasing all trading activities effective immediately. This development brings uncertainty for the company’s employees, its extensive client base, and individuals with whom it was engaged in debt collection processes.
  The debt collection firm, known for its work with major utility providers, local authorit
  
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• Scam Debt Collection Agencies shut down for keeping Client’s monies

  25-08-2025 10:39 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  Scam Debt Collection firms shut down
  Three connected debt collection agencies in Sunderland have been closed by the High Court after an investigation found they kept over £50,000 of funds collected for their clients.
  The companies, EDC Group NE Ltd, UK EDC Ltd, and UK TCF Limited, were found to have deceived small businesses by taking upfront fees and then failing to provide the promised services. They falsely claimed to have decades of experience and used fake testimonials on their websi
  
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• AI Debt Collection much less effective than Humans says new study

  24-06-2025 11:07 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  Businesses turning to AI debt collection may be sacrificing significant results and customer trust, according to new research from one of the Worlds top Universities.
  As artificial intelligence reshapes industries from finance to customer service, many companies have eagerly adopted AI debt collection tools to automate recovery processes.
  But a ground breaking 2025 study led by Yale School of Management professor James Choi reveals a sobering truth: AI debt collection is significantly less effec
  
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• Lambeth Council facing £62.8 Debt Collection crisis due to Overdue Invoices

  13-06-2025 11:46 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  Lambeth Council is currently owed £62.8 million in overdue invoices and debts – an increase of more than 12% on last year’s figures.
  This has led to fresh concerns over how the authority manages its finances and enforces debt collection.
  The figure are revealed in a report due presented to the Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 20th May, which paints a worrying picture of rising debt levels, outdated processes, and overburdened staff struggling to keep pace.
  The repor
  
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• Insolvency Service appoints Crypto Debt Recovery Expert

  10-06-2025 11:35 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  The UK Insolvency Service has appointed its first crypto intelligence specialist to help with enforcement recover crypto from bankruptcy, civil and criminal cases.
  Andrew Small, a former police investigator with a background in economic crime, will lead efforts in enforcement to trace and reclaim crypto assets that haven’t been accounted for in those proceedings, according to a June 9 statement from the Insolvency Service.
  It comes as the number of crypto-related insolvency cases in the UK
  
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• Director banned for £200k bank payment days after Company collapsed

  05-06-2025 14:31 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  A Scottish businesswoman has been banned as a company director after paying her daughter £200,000 days after their firm collapsed.
  Mother and daughter Hazel Lamont and Nicola Murray decided to wind up their Scotparts UK Ltd. company in 2023 as it was insolvent.
  Lamont, 74, paid her daughter almost £200,000 in company money in the days following their decision to cease trading.
  More than £300,000 had been paid into Scotparts’ bank account from a customer in the days before
  
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• Business Overdue Invoices hit 26 month high in Wales

  04-06-2025 11:14 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  The number of overdue invoices on the books of Welsh businesses hit a 26-month high in April 2025, according to new research from R3, the UK’s insolvency and restructuring trade body.R3’s analysis of data provided by Creditsafe shows there were 156,775 overdue invoices on the books of Welsh businesses in April 2025 – the highest on record since February 2023’s figure of 161,860, and a 19.2% increase on April 2024’s total of 131,272.Overdue invoice numbers have rise
  
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• Medical Sector Suppliers collapses after 41 years trading

  13-05-2025 10:05 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  A well known Medical Gas Suppliers company has ceased trading after plunging into administration after 41 years.
  Blair Milne and James Fennessey, partners with Azets, have been appointed joint administrators of medicinal gas pipeline installation and servicing specialist, Hospital Pipeline Installations Limited (HPI).
  Founded over 40 years ago in 1984, and headquartered on Duke Street in Paisley, Renfrewshire, with an additional office in Rochdale, England, HPI was a leading designer a
  
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• Number of Limited Company Director disqualifications rises

  16-04-2025 12:33 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  Latest figures from the Insolvency Service show the agency banned more than 1,000 directors in 2024-25, of which 736 were for Covid loan abuse.
  The report shows that of the 1,036 directors who were disqualified, 736 were for Covid loan abuse and the average length of a ban was eight years. The report also shows that there have been 131 bankruptcy restriction orders put in place, 87 of which were related to the abuse of Covid loans.
  Directors can be banned from being the director of a company for
  
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• CCJ Enforcement is extremely ‘slow and ineffective’ says Judge

  12-04-2025 08:57 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  Claimants are struggling to recover Unpaid CCJs in England and Wales due to justice system failures. A body chaired by a Senior Judge has found that the CCj Enforcement is “extremely slow and ineffective”.
  The Civil Justice Council (CJC) is chaired by Sir Geoffrey Vos and he warned that Businesses and private individuals are facing “very significant delays” in recovering what they are owed despite having CCJs awarded in the County Court.
  The report issued by the CJC advis
  
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• Green Energy firm enters administration

  25-03-2025 12:49 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  Green energy firm Ripple Energy which provided renewable power to over 20,000 customers in the UK has filed notice to appoint administrators.
  Ripple allowed customers to co-own a wind farm or solar park with “thousands of other budding climate heroes” by purchasing shares. In return, they receive discounted energy from major suppliers like British Gas.
  The company’s business model aims to reduce energy bills and carbon footprints for its customers.
  Its projects included the Whi
  
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• 6 in 10 Small Businesses restricted by late payments

  11-03-2025 12:08 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  A new report from GoCardless, in partnership with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), has revealed an escalating late payments crisis threatening UK small businesses.
  A survey of over 2,000 small Business owners found that 45% are experiencing more late payments than a year ago, while 50% fear the situation will worsen in the next 12 months. For many, the delays are severe—almost a quarter (24%) of SMBs report receiving payments up to 60 days late.
  With small businesses accounting fo
  
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• Scam Debt Collectors firm shut down by Authorities

  05-03-2025 15:12 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  Bristol based debt recovery business which didn’t hand over money is shut downAn Insolvency Service investigation found that Encore Capital Group Inc Ltd trading as Encore Debt Recovery failed to fully hand over the money it collected it has been revealed.
  The Scam debt collectors service was incorporated in late 2021 and targeted businesses and private individuals with their false debt recovery services.Encore Capital Group Inc Ltd cold-called businesses and potential customers and then c
  
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• Businesses suffering from significant Late Payment delays

  18-02-2025 12:14 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  Latest data from Money.co.uk has found that on businesses are facing 47-day payment delays.
  The FSB has described late payments as one of the ‘biggest problems’ facing small businesses and with the Government announcing plans to crack down on late payments with stricter laws to help smaller businesses and grow the UK economy The research highlights the problem.
  The research analysed data from the Department for Business and Trade to show how late payments affect UK businesses.
  Busine
  
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• Trade Body calls on Government to improve its Debt Collection methods

  12-02-2025 10:14 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  In a new report, the Credit Services Association (CSA), the UK trade body for the debt collection and debt purchase sector, has called on the Government to improve its debt collection methods for collecting debts to help service users more effectively and boost collections revenues.
  The report praises the accomplishments of the Government Debt Management Function and the Treasury’s cross-government ‘Fairness Group’ but highlights the need for continued progress and a focus on l
  
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• Late Payments identified as top cause of Cash Flow issues for SMEs

  27-01-2025 16:42 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  Late payments are the primary culprit for causing cash flow problems for businesses according to two fifths (41%) of UK small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) while making sure the bills are paid was an issue for a third (32%) and having access to emergency cash (21%) was also top of the list. That’s according to Allstar, one of the UK’s leading business, EV and fuel expense payment companies, which researched the issues plaguing the nation’s small businesses.The 20th of Jan
  
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• Company Insolvencies drop by 5% for the year 2024

  24-01-2025 10:07 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  Annual figures from the Insolvency Service have shown that there were 23,872 registered company insolvencies in England and Wales in 2024 a fall of 5.1% from 2023’s figure of 25,163.
  The company insolvencies comprised of 18,840 creditors’ voluntary liquidations (CVLs), 3,230 compulsory liquidations, 1,597 administrations, 202 company voluntary arrangements (CVAs) and three receivership appointments.
  The slight decrease in the total number of company insolvencies in 2024 was driven by
  
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• Gin Company seen on Dragons Den, collapses with Business debts

  15-01-2025 14:06 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  Didsbury Gin was founded by best friends and gin lovers Liam Manton and Mark Smallwood in 2017, who according to the brand’s website, wanted to ‘take gin to the next level’.
  A year after founding the brand, the pair won a £75,000 (US$88,952) grant after appearing on BBC television series Dragons’ Den, which in return would take a 10% stake in their business.
  Manton and Smallwood were awarded a Medal of the Order of the British Empire (BEM) in the King
  
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• Self Employed Tradespeople owed £3.5Bn in Late Payments

  17-12-2024 12:17 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  BILLIONS of pounds in late payments are owed to self employed tradespeople across the UK, according to new research from Ford Pro.
  The vehicle manufacturer’s research found delayed or missing payments to tradespeople was reported as the major issue facing sole traders heading into 2025.
  Tradespeople are owed as much as £3.5 billion in overdue payments, which equates to an average of £3,942 each. It’s the equivalent of over a month’s salary for a typical UK tradesper
  
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• Famous Training College forced into Liquidation

  16-12-2024 15:57 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  An internationally recognised boatbuilding training college is set to close its doors in Suffolk for the final time as it heads into liquidation.
  The award-winning International Boatbuilding Training College (IBTC) has been based on the edge of The Broads since 1975.
  Ideally situated on Sea Lake Road, Oulton Broad in Lowestoft, IBTC has ensured that traditional boatbuilding skills have been preserved for almost 50 years.
  But it has been announced the college is to c
  
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• Commercial Late Payment to be tackled by Government’s Fair Payment Code

  04-12-2024 09:10 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  The Government has announced the launch of a new Fair Payment Code aimed at tackling late payments, with research showing that SMEs are on average owed £22,000 a year. It comes on top of an earlier announced consultation which will investigate the scale of the problem and best solutions.
  Tackling Commercial Late Payment
  The code, overseen by the Small Business Commissioner Liz Barclay, introduces a gold, silver, and bronze system to reward best payment practices and help smaller firms
  
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• Number of Insolvent Businesses decreases by 10%

  20-11-2024 15:16 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  Latest figures from the Insolvency Service have shown that the number of business insolvencies in England and Wales was 1,747 in October 2024, 10% lower than in September 2024 (1,950) and 24% lower than the same month in the previous year.
  The business insolvencies figures consisted of 188 compulsory liquidations, 1,445 creditors’ voluntary liquidations (CVLs), 100 administrations and 12 company voluntary arrangements (CVAs).
  CVLs accounted for 83% of all company insolvencies. Th
  
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• Council To Review £20m Debt Recovery Headache

  20-11-2024 15:01 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  Dudley Council is chasing an eye-watering £20m in unpaid debts owed for more than three months despite battling a financial black hole.
  The authority is currently working to balance the books ahead of next year’s budget with a gap of £35m between what it spends and its income.
  Despite the financial crisis there are millions of pounds in bills from the council that have been unpaid for more than 90 days.
  Dudley’s cabinet member for finance, Cllr Steve Clark, did not explai
  
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• Large rise in Logistics Company Insolvencies

  19-11-2024 12:01 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  Research by Forvis Mazars has found that insolvencies of logistics companies’ have risen 14% in the past year, from 464 in 2022/23 to 530 in 2023/24.
  Many logistics businesses were set up during the pandemic to meet the sudden rise in demand for home delivery. As this surge in demand reversed, some of these companies are struggling to survive.
  In May 2020, during the height of the pandemic, internet sales made up 34% of all retail sales. By July 2024 online sales were only 28% of all retai
  
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• Welsh Businesses seeing rise in Overdue Invoices

  05-11-2024 12:57 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  The number of Welsh companies with overdue invoices on their books reached a 2024 high in September, according to new research from R3, the UK’s insolvency and restructuring trade body.
  Analysis of data provided by Creditsafe shows that 18,360 Welsh businesses had unpaid invoices on their books last month – the highest monthly total of the year so far.
  The number of Welsh firms with overdue invoices on their books rose by 3.7% in September 2024 when compared to September 2023’s
  
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• 6% of Debt Collection visits breaching National Standards

  04-11-2024 09:35 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  New research has shown that debt collectors are breaching national standards in 6% of visits to individuals facing enforcement.
  The study into doorstep interactions in civil enforcement – published by the Enforcement Conduct Board (ECB) – found a noticeable area in which the standards are least commonly met is in acknowledging and taking into account self-identified or obvious vulnerability.
  One of the most common areas in which breaches occur is in ensuring that individuals facing e
  
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• Small Business Bad debt increases by 127%

  23-10-2024 11:09 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  The value of bad debt suffered by small businesses has surged by a staggering 127 per cent in the last six months, according to a report by SME funder, Bibby Financial Services (BFS).
  According to the latest SME Confidence Tracker from Bibby, businesses have written-off an average of nearly £40,000 in unpaid invoices in the last 12 months, up from an average of £17,500 in the spring. The proportion suffering from non-payment has risen too, reaching 40 per cent, up from 30 per cent in
  
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• Self Employed Tradespeople chasing debts of £6k on average

  11-10-2024 10:47 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  New research by Direct Line has found that the average self-employed tradesperson is chasing £6,000 in late payments.
  The data has shown that 81 per cent of tradespeople are chasing late payments, with the average tradesperson chasing seven outstanding invoices
  A fifth (22 per cent) of tradespeople say pursuing late payments is taking time away from work whilst almost one in ten (eight per cent) tradespeople have been forced to write off an invoice of over £10,000
  Half of tradespeopl
  
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• Government slammed over plans that will fuel Private Rent Arrears

  08-10-2024 15:06 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  Government Ministers are being urged to do more to prevent tenants building up private rent arrears, not allow them to get bigger as currently planned.
  The call comes as the government’s Renters’ Rights Bill proposes increasing the amount of arrears a tenant can build from two to three months of rent before landlords can serve notice to repossess a property.
  In addition, the Bill seeks to double the notice period landlords must give in such cases, before waiting an average of seven m
  
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• Map shows where Bailiffs in London are most used to collect debts

  04-10-2024 10:22 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  The London Borough of Croydon sends out the highest number of bailiffs in all of England and Wales to collect debts, according to a new interactive map. It sent out the most bailiffs for debt collection in London between 2022 and 2023, a staggering 86,295 referrals, with 36,122 of these referrals for council tax arrears.
  Martin Lewis’s charity, The Money and Mental Health Policy Institute, has said councils’ use of bailiffs for debt collection is “grotesque”, and “a
  
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• Law firm ‘disappears’ owing £37.5m to Creditors

  02-10-2024 10:22 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  The administrators of a collapsed Liverpool law firm have admitted they do not know if creditors will receive a return, amid ongoing uncertainty over exactly how the business came to grief.
  Joint administrators from Quantuma handling the affairs of McDermott Smith gave an update this month on progress, but said it could be another two years for the business to be liquidated.
  Quantuma was appointed by one of the firm’s lenders, Fenchurch Legal, in July. The Solicitors Regulation Authority c
  
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• City Council owed £229m in Unpaid Debt

  18-09-2024 10:30 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  Bristol City Council is owed £229m in unpaid debt, included nearly £52m of council tax it has failed to collect.
  However unpaid invoices account for much of the debt – £88.6m – and £30.9m of this is not due until next year.
  Bristol City Council revealed the figure – which also included rent arrears and clean air zone (CAZ) charges – in a report to the strategy and resources policy committee on Monday.
  Other reasons cited in the report are cost of l
  
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• Authorities issue Scam Invoices warning

  17-09-2024 11:27 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  The Intellectual Property Office (IPO)  has issued a fresh warning to customers to beware of misleading requests for payments, sent by unsolicited organisations. These typically take the form of invoices requesting payment for trade marks, designs, or patents services.
  Such ‘services’ – once paid for – may simply never be provided, or may be of little or no benefit to the customer (for example, inclusion on an ‘exclusive online register’, not recogni
  
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• Londons lettings market being plagued by Rogue Tenants

  13-09-2024 12:58 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  London estate and lettings agent Benham and Reeves has uncovered a growing wave of fraudulent activity with rogue tenants targeting landlords in the capital. With forged IDs, doctored documents, and undeclared financial issues becoming increasingly common, the firm reports that fraudsters are finding new ways to exploit the city’s high-demand rental market. This alarming trend is prompting calls for greater scrutiny and human involvement in tenant screening processes to protect landlo
  
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• Charity’s plea to restrict Council tax Debt Collection

  12-09-2024 11:42 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  The Charity, National Debtline says action is needed to improve debt collection practices at a effectively-bankrupt authority.
  Financially-stricken Birmingham City Council sent almost 60,000 debts to bailiffs last year – as a charity warned the tactic risked pushing those who owed cash to despair. The authority said it referred more than 58,500 cases in 2023-24, with the number increasing again following a drop after the pandemic.
  Council bosses said the 2022/23 total of 39,618 &
  
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• SME Late Payments increase by 48% says New research

  10-09-2024 13:30 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  Over 3.6 million (72%) small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have some form of outstanding late payment from customers, leaving them £96,772 out of pocket on average, according to new research from Aldermore’s SME Growth Index.
  The total value of late payments has increased from the end of 2023, up 41% from £68,715 with outstanding balances continuing to present huge challenges for SMEs.
  On average, SMEs are likely to wait an extra 46 days for a late payment to be settled a
  
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• Council’s ineffective Debt Recovery leading to increased Bailiff usage

  06-09-2024 19:12 via ukdcnews.co.uk
  
  A debt advice charity has urged Warrington Borough Council to improve debt recovery methods after bailiffs were instructed 6,432 times in a year.
  New findings following a Freedom of Information Request revealed Warrington Borough Council sent 6,432 debts to bailiffs in 2022/23 – although the council says this was due to a backlog after suspending debt recovery for a three-year period during the pandemic.
  Now National Debtline has called for improvements to debt collection practices and is
  
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