Individual insolvencies, September 2026
Monthly tables and commentary on the numbers and rates of individual insolvencies, including bankruptcies, debt relief orders and individual voluntary arrangements in England and Wales and Northern Ireland, and quarterly information for Scotland. For England and Wales, Breathing Space scheme statistics are also included.
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In September 2026, 11,894 individuals entered insolvency in England and Wales. This was slightly less than August 2026 but 9% higher than in September 2025.
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The individual insolvencies consisted of 671 bankruptcies, 3,838 debt relief orders (DROs) and 7,385 individual voluntary arrangements (IVAs). With the exception of December 2025, which was affected by the clearing of a backlog of cases that were agreed in previous months, this is the highest monthly number of IVAs since November 2022. DRO numbers in September 2026 were similar to in August 2026 but lower than the average monthly numbers seen over the past 12 months. Bankruptcy numbers were lower than in August 2026 but similar to September 2025.
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In the 12 months ending 30 September 2026, one in 357 adults in England and Wales entered insolvency (at a rate of 28.0 per 10,000 adults). This is higher than the rate of 24.8 per 10,000 adults (one in 403) who entered insolvency in the 12 months ending 30 September 2025.
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There were 5,149 Breathing Space registrations in September 2026. This is 33% lower than in September 2025. Numbers of breathing spaces have been lower since December 2025 after the largest money advisor group by number of cases updated its suitability criteria for its clients to apply for a breathing space.