The number of people going financially insolvent in March in England and Wales jumped by 30% annually, as registrations for debt relief orders reached a new record high, according to Insolvency Service figures.
In March, 12,252 personal insolvencies were registered across England and Wales.
This was 30% higher than in March 2025 and 3% higher than in February 2026.
Personal insolvencies are made up of bankruptcies and individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs) as well as debt relief orders (DROs).
At 4,523, the number of DROs in March was a record high going back to their introduction in 2009. March’s figure leapfrogged a previous high of 4,301, recorded in February 2026.
Numbers of DROs increased…