Corporate And Personal Statistics Revealed

Andrew Walker, chair of R3 in Yorkshire and partner at Irwin Mitchell, comments:

Corporate insolvency stats

“The quarter-on quarter increase in corporate insolvencies may seem surprising given that we saw the economy grow during this quarter; however, our research shows that the first stages of recovery are the most difficult time for businesses.  It takes time before a return to growth translates into tangible relief for business owners, unfortunately creditors tend to become more aggressive in their pursuit of debtors once there signs of growth.  In fact, our members have seen more Time to Pay applications rejected and our latest Business Distress Index shows that businesses believe that banks are less supportive than in previous quarters. 

“For the businesses that have clawed their way through the recession, depleting their reserves in their process, continued creditor support may well be key to their survival.”

Personal Insolvency stats

“In terms of personal insolvencies, we are continuing to see a fall which can only be a good thing. Our research shows that, against the backdrop of increased living costs and falling income, four in five consumers have changed how they shop in a bid to save money.  A further drop in personal insolvency may signal that the reigning in of domestic belts is starting to pay off.

“However, this data only captures those that are in formal insolvency procedures so we are unable to gauge how many households are struggling.  What we do know is that on average, people tend start to struggle 20 days after payday, with many ‘bridging the gap’ by taking on more debt, which can easily snowball. It is important that those who are struggling set a budget – it is probably the most powerful financial weapon in the fight against debt and its value should not be underestimated.”