Creditors are moving to shut down struggling companies at the fastest rate in at least three years, according to new figures obtained from the Ministry of Justice.
Courts in England and Wales received 7,049 winding-up petitions in 2025 – up 11% on the 6,337 lodged in 2024 and 35% higher than the 5,220 recorded in 2023, HM Courts & Tribunals Service data shows.
The pressure has intensified into 2026. Petitions in the first quarter reached 1,885, up 5% on the same period in 2025 and 66% above 2023. March 2026 alone saw 745 petitions, the busiest March in the three years and one of the highest monthly totals recorded, behind only April 2025 (861) and July 2024 (843).
A winding-up petition is the most serious enforcement…