PwC comments on September 2025 insolvency data

Data released from the Insolvency Service today has revealed a marginal decrease in the number of corporate insolvencies in September of 2% when compared with August, although the figure was 1.5% higher than September last year. Given the continued market pressure, insolvencies could exceed 24,000 this year.  

David Kelly, Head of Insolvency at PwC commented:

“Whilst the marginal reduction in insolvencies is a welcome sign, there is unlikely to be too much festive cheer over the coming months. Many businesses, irrespective of their financial position, are finding the market incredibly difficult. This is being driven by a combination of factors, such as limited access the labour, volatile commodity prices and changing consumer spending patterns in the face of increased uncertainty. 

“There is an increased focus on cost control and cash generation. We are seeing credit control departments taking a tougher line with customers. Winding up petitions rose by 12% in September, with HMRC behind almost the entirety of that increase, and filing 58% of all petitions.  

“Our analysis of the underlying data highlights that construction continues to be the sector under the most pressure, with over 3,200 failures this year, equating to more than 11 failures per day.  More than 950 restaurants, 580 pubs, and 770 food retailers have experienced failures, highlighting the challenges these sectors currently face. Also of note is that over 170 educational companies have failed this year, at a rate of four per week.”