Corporate insolvencies continue to rise year-on-year according to insolvency and restructuring trade body R3 in the South West.
Although the figures show a slight fall between June and July 2021, it was the third consecutive month in which year-on-year corporate insolvency levels have risen.
R3 said the month-on-month fall in corporate insolvencies was a result of a drop in compulsory liquidations, creditors' voluntary liquidations (CVL), administrations and company voluntary arrangements (CVA). However, the year-on-year rise continues to reflect the effect the Covid pandemic has had on the business community.
The statistics for July 2021 from the Insolvency Service for England and Wales showed:
Corporate insolvencies fell by 9.3% to 1,094 in July 2021 compared to June’s figure of 1,206, and increased by 13.4% compared to July 2020's figure of 965.
Personal insolvencies fell by 7.8% to 9,079 in July 2021 compared to June’s figure of 9,848 and were 23.8% higher than July 2020's figure of 7,335.
R3 in the South West chair Philip Winterborne, a partner at Temple Bright Solicitors in Bristol, said: “The month on-month fall in corporate insolvencies was a result of a drop in compulsory liquidations, creditors' voluntary Liquidations, administrations and company voluntary arrangements.
“However, this is the third consecutive month in which year-on-year corporate insolvency levels have risen, which reflects the effect the pandemic has had on the business community.
“The 70.4% increase in creditors' voluntary liquidations this month compared to July 2020 suggests an increasing number of directors have decided to close their businesses after spending a year trying to survive the pandemic.
“Although Government support has continued to provide a lifeline for many businesses which would have otherwise struggled in an economic climate like this, this July was still a challenging month.”
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Mr Winterborne added: “The delay in lifting the final restrictions will have hit trading, footfall and spending, and a huge number of South West firms have spent 15 months trading in conditions that are wildly different to normal.
“With the opening up of the economy, consumer confidence at pre-pandemic levels, and spending levels higher than they were in 2019, the future does look more optimistic. Having said that, it will take longer for the worst-hit sectors to recover from the pandemic.
“SMEs are the backbone of the 海角视频 economy, but many in the South West have been badly affected by the pandemic. The restructuring community is better placed than ever to help them and other organisations with financial worries, but if directors leave it too late to ask for help, they will have fewer rescue or recovery options open to them.
“There is no shame in management asking for support or advice – and R3 members are ideally placed to provide it. Many of them will give an hour’s free consultation to firms that want to know more about their restructuring or insolvency options, so they can understand the situation the business is in and explain the potential solutions for improving it.
“On the personal insolvency side, the month-on-month fall shown in the figures published today was as a result of a fall in bankruptcies and individual voluntary arrangements, although debt relief order numbers increased. However, it’s worth highlighting that personal insolvency levels have increased year-on-year, which shows the toll the pandemic is taking on people’s finances in England and Wales.”
While the majority of Covid support measures are coming to an end, the introduction of the Breathing Space scheme in May has given more than 17,000 people who are in financial difficulty the chance to discuss the challenges they face with a debt advisor, free from creditor action, since it launched. This recent development may be a further support for those who suffered financially during the pandemic.
Mr Winterborne said: “As we enter the middle of the summer, employment numbers and job vacancies have increased, and more people are returning to work as the furlough scheme begins to wind down. However, not everyone has benefitted from Government support, and many people have had to borrow or use their savings to pay their bills.
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“We recognise that there are a huge number of people across the South West who are worried about their finances right now, and the best thing they – or anyone who is worried about their personal or business finances can do - is to seek advice from a qualified and regulated source.
“It’s a really tough thing to talk about. But discussing your financial concerns as they emerge or in their early stages means you have more potential solutions open to you and more time to determine which of these is best for you.”
Restructuring and insolvency professional Oliver Collinge, from PKF GM, said: “This trend of rising corporate insolvency numbers is not surprising. Last month saw the lifting of the final lockdown restrictions and many businesses will now have to start making payments in relation to their BBLS and CBILS loans.
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“We expect the numbers to continue to rise as furlough comes to an end and the temporary restrictions on the use of certain creditor enforcement actions are lifted. It is inevitable that insolvency numbers will return at least to pre-pandemic levels relatively soon and possibly higher for a period of time. One of these temporary restrictions, namely the moratorium on issuing winding up petitions, is due to end on September 30, 2021, which, if not pushed back again, could trigger a sharp rise in corporate insolvencies in the coming months as creditors will be able to enforce their rights again.
“The end of the furlough scheme is also due at the end of September 2021, which will put further cash flow pressure on some companies in the region and will likely increase insolvencies in the last quarter of 2021 and the start of 2022. There will be multiple added pressures on businesses in the coming months, particularly those that weren’t in robust financial health before Covid.”