More and more of us are experiencing personal insolvency, which is when you just can’t pay your debts. In England and Wales in March, 12,252 individual insolvencies were registered, which was 30% higher than in March 2025 and 3% higher than in February 2026.
“We are seeing more people using credit to get through the month. When that’s the approach people are taking, debts can really build up quickly,” says Matthew Sheeran, collaborations partner at Money Wellness and trained debt advisor. He says it’s largely down to the rising cost of living, recent fuel prices and the economic impact of the past few years.
