Business news

UK inflation is rising again — and energy costs are doing much of the damage.

CPI reached 2.9% in July, household energy bills are forecast to rise again in October, and economists are warning inflation could climb further over the coming months.

There are some brighter signals. Consumer confidence has improved and UK house prices are still higher than a year ago. But for businesses selling on credit, the wider picture remains demanding: high borrowing costs, squeezed household budgets and rising operating expenses can all feed through into slower customer payments.

Today's CPA Business News also covers the potential £36bn annual economic cost of climate change to London by the 2050s, tax and MTD developments, global markets and the latest insolvency notices.

Good credit control becomes more important when costs are rising. CreditCare reports, debtor monitoring and early action on overdue invoices can help businesses identify risk sooner and keep cash moving.

Read the full briefing on the CPA website.

cpa.co.uk/uk-business-news-today-20-august-2026-economy-markets-insolvencies/

#SMEs #Cashflow #LatePayment #CreditManagement #UKBusiness #Inflation #EnergyCosts #Insolvency #BusinessResilience

This image is hidden for guests.
Please log in or register to see it.

More than 53,000 UK businesses are now in critical financial distress, according to new BTG research, with consumer-facing sectors among those seeing the sharpest deterioration.

Today's wider picture reinforces the pressure:

• UK retail sales fell 0.5% in July
• Public borrowing exceeded forecasts
• Energy and inflation risks remain elevated
• Employers face further cost uncertainty
• Another 674,000 businesses are already in significant financial distress

For businesses selling on credit, financial distress rarely begins on the day an insolvency notice appears. Changes in payment behaviour often come first.

Monitoring customer risk, following up overdue invoices promptly and maintaining consistent credit control can make a significant difference.

Read today's full UK Business News briefing for the latest economy, markets and insolvency developments.

cpa.co.uk/uk-business-news-today-21-august-2026-economy-markets-insolvencies/

CPA helps businesses protect cashflow, improve payment performance and recover overdue invoices while preserving customer relationships.

#SMEs #Cashflow #LatePayment #Insolvency #UKBusiness #CreditManagement #BusinessRisk #Retail #Hospitality

This image is hidden for guests.
Please log in or register to see it.