Scottish Insolvency Statistics: January to March 2019 (2018-19 Quarter 4)

Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB) have released official statistics reporting personal and company insolvencies in Scotland for the fourth quarter (January to March 2019) of 2018-19 and provisional estimates for the 2018-19 financial year.

Scottish insolvency statistics in 2018-19

Provisional estimates show that in 2018-19 personal insolvencies in Scotland increased by 20.5% to 12,779 from 10,602 in 2017-18. Estimates for 2018-19 are provisional until final figures are published on 24 July 2019.

Personal insolvencies (bankruptcies and protected trust deeds (PTDs)) rose for the third consecutive year but remain below levels seen between 2006-07 and 2013-14.

The increase in personal insolvencies in 2018-19 was due to PTDs, which increased by 32.9% on the previous year.

In 2018-19, there were 2,544 debt payment programmes (DPPs) approved under the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS), 226 more than a year earlier. In 2018-19, £37.1 million was repaid from debtors under DAS compared with £37.6 million in 2017-18.

Corporate insolvencies increased from 884 in 2017-18 to 966 in 2018-19.

Scottish Insolvency Statistics for January to March 2019 (2018-19 Q4)

There were 3,272 personal insolvencies in Scotland in 2018-19 Q4, more than the 2,533 personal insolvencies in the quarter in the previous year (2017-18 Q4).

There were 1,223 bankruptcies awarded during this quarter, a 14.4% increase on the same quarter in 2017-18. PTDs increased by 40.0% to 2,049 over the same period.

There were 597 DPPs approved under DAS compared with 489 in the same quarter of 2017-18.

A total of £9.4 million was repaid through DAS during this quarter, compared with £9.3 million in 2017-18 Q4.

The number of Scottish registered companies becoming insolvent or entering receivership increased in the fourth quarter of 2018-19, with 280 companies becoming insolvent compared with 259 in 2017-18 Q4. There were 137 members’ voluntary liquidations (solvent liquidations) in 2018-19 compared with 119 in 2017-18 Q4.

The figures  were produced in accordance with the professional standards set out in the Code of Practice for Official Statistics.

Background

• A full statement of Scottish insolvency statistics for the fourth quarter of 2018-19 is available – https://www.aib.gov.uk/about-aib/statistics-data/quarterly-reports
• Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff – more information on the standards of official statistics in Scotland can be accessed at: https://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/About (link is external)
• Accountant in Bankruptcy supervises all personal insolvencies in Scotland and administers those bankruptcies where appointed. Insolvent individuals in Scotland are subject to bankruptcy (sequestration) or enter protected trust deeds (PTDs) under the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985. The 1985 Act was amended by the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1993 and on 1 April 2008, part 1 of the Bankruptcy and Diligence etc. (Scotland) Act 2007 came into force making significant changes to some aspects of bankruptcy in Scotland. Changes included the introduction of LILA, a route into bankruptcy for people with low income and low assets. The changes also took a number of processes out of the Scottish Court system, reducing costs and freeing up court time.
• Protected trust deeds (PTDs) are voluntary arrangements, where the debtor passes their estate to an insolvency practitioner who arranges to repay part of the debt to creditors on the debtor’s behalf. This is similar to Individual Voluntary Agreements (IVAs) in England and Wales; although there are important differences in the way they are set up and administered.
• The Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) is administered by Accountant in Bankruptcy. Debt Payment Programmes approved under DAS allow individuals to repay their debts in full over an extended period of time whilst providing protection from enforcement by their creditors and safeguarding their home as long as mortgage payments are maintained. Further information on DAS, including a register of Debt Payment Programmes, is available here.
• Details of bankruptcies, PTDs, liquidations and receiverships are found on the register of insolvencies, which is maintained by Accountant in Bankruptcy and can be found at https://roi.aib.gov.uk/roi
• Accountant in Bankruptcy is also responsible for receiving, extracting and recording information from certain forms relating to company liquidations and receiverships. The legislation appropriate to liquidations and receiverships is contained in the Insolvency Act 1986 and the Insolvency (Scotland) Rules 1986.
• Further information regarding insolvency in Scotland, including legislation, can be found on the Accountant in Bankruptcy’s website at www.aib.gov.uk