The number of UK businesses in critical financial trouble rose by a record 50.2 percent quarter-on-quarter to 46,853 in the last three months of 2024, according to new data from insolvency specialist Begbies Traynor.
Construction and consumer companies are among the hardest hit by these problems, raising fears of widespread bankruptcies in the coming year.
Begbies Traynor’s latest ‘red flag’ warning highlights that 6,830 construction firms are showing signs of critical stress. Consumer sectors have also been hit hard, with a notable 76 percent spike in serious financial difficulties for leisure operators and a 48 percent increase among general retailers. The high-profile collapse of names such as Homebase, Carpetright and The Body Shop has underlined the pressure on retail businesses and led to thousands of job losses.
Ric Traynor, executive chairman of Begbies Traynor, warned that “many distressed UK businesses are finding it almost impossible to tackle the challenges they face as we enter 2025”. He pointed to the tax and wage increases introduced in the previous budget, including higher employer national insurance contributions and an increase in the national minimum wage, as potential tipping points for businesses struggling with weak consumer confidence and high borrowing costs.
The study examined factors such as provincial court judgments against companies and bankruptcy filings. Julie Palmer, partner at Begbies Traynor, commented: “Across almost every sector there has been an unprecedented level of growth in the number of companies at serious risk of going out of business in the next twelve months.” She added that consumer-facing businesses in particular are feeling the pressure of rising operational costs, which, after a disappointing Christmas period, could push many “over the edge”.
Meanwhile, official Insolvency Service figures for 2024 showed a slight fall of 5 percent in the total number of business failures, to 23,872. However, higher interest rates and broader economic pressures have pushed the number of personal bankruptcies up 14 percent over the year, from 103,434 to 117.94. Tim Cooper, chief executive of R3, the trade body for insolvency and restructuring, said this points to “a real and serious problem” with consumer debt.