Debt collection agencies news

• 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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• 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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• 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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