Company insolvencies remain stable but cost pressures continue to bite, R3 says

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Company insolvencies remain stable but cost pressures continue to bite, R3 says

Commenting on the Insolvency Service’s latest monthly statistics for England and Wales, R3, the UK’s restructuring, turnaround and insolvency association, said although company insolvencies were at similar levels to the previous month, administrations spiked and personal insolvencies continue to increase.

Commenting on the latest numbers, Sonia Jordan, President of R3 and Restructuring and Insolvency Partner at Knights, said:

 “Corporate insolvency numbers in June remained similar to the previous month with 1,845 companies failing last month compared to 1,849 in May. Figures were also 10% lower than June 2025. However, there was a monthly spike in businesses entering administration of 45% due to 60 connected companies in the real estate sector entering administration. This is likely to be caused by the continuing ripple effects of the demise of mortgage provider Market Financial Solutions.

“Although we are seeing a welcome stabilising in insolvency numbers, these figures reflect conditions several months earlier, and since then the backdrop has become more difficult again. The short-lived relief some businesses may have felt from easing fuel and energy costs following developments in the Middle East has now been replaced by renewed uncertainty as the conflict resumes, with rising fuel costs likely to feed quickly into transport, supply chain and operating costs. This may edge up company insolvency figures again in the coming months.

“In positive news, the continued heatwave across the UK and major sporting events like the World Cup and Wimbledon have helped pubs and restaurants, while some online retailers have benefited as people avoided shopping in the heat. With costs for overseas travel remaining high, UK businesses in traditional holiday locations will also be looking to benefit from a boost as people seek to capitalise on the good weather with staycations.

 “As Andy Burnham is due to take over as Prime Minister on Monday, businesses will also be looking for early clarity on the new Government’s economic priorities, particularly around taxation, confidence, support for growth and approach to re-nationalisation.”

Turning to personal insolvencies, Sonia commented:

“Personal insolvencies increased again in June rising by 5% to 11,871 cases, compared to 11,303 in May, and were 16% higher than the same month last year.

“This demonstrates the acute pressures on household finances. The 13% rise in the energy price cap from July will add further pressure to already stretched budgets, and reports that more workers are reducing or stopping pension contributions shows how some people are having to treat even long-term financial planning as discretionary spending.

“The Insolvency Service’s investment in digitising parts of the debt relief order process is a positive step if it makes it easier for people in financial distress to access the right solution. However, if this leads to increased demand, it will be important to ensure there is enough capacity in the system so people can get help quickly and are not left in limbo.

“In this environment, directors and individuals need to keep a close eye on their finances and seek qualified advice at the first sign of financial or operational stress. The earlier advice is taken from an R3 member, the more options are likely to be available.”

What the latest insolvency stats show

Corporate insolvencies  levels in June 2026 were similar to the previous month with 1,845 cases compared to May when there were 1,849 business failures.  June’s figure was 10% lower than the same month in 2025 when there were 2,048 cases.

Personal insolvencies increased by 5% in June 2026 compared to the previous month rising to 11,871 from 11,303. Personal insolvencies were 16% higher in June 2026 compared to the same month in 2025 when the figure was 10,268.