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Corporate report

Confidence in the regime 2026

This research provides the third wave of insight into the insolvency and enforcement regimes.

From:
The Insolvency Service
Published
26 June 2026

Applies to England, Scotland and Wales

Documents

Confidence in the regime 2026

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Details

The Insolvency Service is in its final year of delivering its five‑year strategy (2021–26) aimed at supporting those in financial distress, tackling financial wrongdoing, and maximising returns to creditors. Since the strategy began, several activities and reforms have been implemented across the insolvency and enforcement regimes. This research provides the third wave of insight into confidence in these regimes. Building on findings from the 2022 and 2023 studies, the 2026 wave examines:

  • Awareness, understanding and views of newly implemented activities or in‑progress reforms
  • Whether concerns from previous research with stakeholders have been addressed
  • Perceptions of fairness, effectiveness and efficiency of the regimes

The research explores differences across stakeholder groups and provides evidence to assess progress against the Insolvency Service’s strategic aims. The activities this report examines are:

  • The creation of the Directors Information Hub, which aims to provide clear and accessible guidance to company directors and improve their understanding of statutory obligations and financial distress.
  • The increased promotion of enforcement activities, which is intended to enhance transparency and public understanding of how enforcement protects victims and creditors.
  • New enforcement initiatives introduced since 2021, including measures in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 and the Economic Crime Levy, which aim to modernise enforcement and strengthen investigative capacity.
  • Proposed reforms to Insolvency Practitioner (IP) regulation, including extending regulation to firms, introducing a public register, and potentially centralising standard‑setting under the Secretary of State.
  • Changes to the Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) system, including updates to eligibility rules, clearer consumer information, stronger suitability checks, and enhanced monitoring of high‑volume IVA providers.
  • Reforms to Debt Relief Orders (DROs), particularly the removal of the application fee and increases to the debt and vehicle value limits, which are intended to widen access and improve fairness for debtors.

Updates to this page

Published 26 June 2026

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