The sustainability of rising consumer debt is of increasing economic and political concern in the UK, with levels of certain types of consumer credit increasing by 10% from 2016 to 20171 . With the advent of new ways to access credit from unsecured lenders, such as payday loans, and a regulatory system which is under constant pressure to keep up with a rapidly evolving market, the personal insolvency landscape has had to adapt to assist those who end up being unable to pay their debts. 

You have probably already been approached by a number of organisations offering you help with your business’s financial situation. This can be very confusing and it is often difficult to know where to turn for the advice you need. Sadly, not all of these organisations are reputable and many are unlicensed and unregulated, even though their marketing letters and websites may make them seem to be legitimate and trustworthy. Taking advice from them may, in fact, make your situation much worse. 

Between 2001 and 2010, insolvency numbers in England and Wales more than quadrupled. Even today, despite a fall in numbers from their peak, around three times more people enter an insolvency procedure than did so at the turn of the millennium. Personal insolvencies, however, are much more interesting than a simple rise and fall in numbers: the overall personal insolvency figures do not disclose ke