The Insolvency Service

Administer and investigate the affairs of bankrupts, of companies and partnerships wound up by the court, and establish why they became insolvent; Act as trustee/liquidator where no private sector insolvency practitioner is appointed; Act as nominee and supervisor in fast-track individual voluntary arrangements; Take forward reports of bankrupts’ and directors’ misconduct; Deal with the disqualification of unfit directors in all corporate failures; Deal with bankruptcy restrictions orders and undertakings; Authorise and regulate the insolvency profession; Assess and pay statutory entitlement to redundancy payments when an employer cannot or will not pay its employees; Provide banking and investment services for bankruptcy and liquidation estate funds; Advise BIS ministers and other government departments and agencies on insolvency, redundancy and related issues; Provide information to the public on insolvency and redundancy matters via our website, leaflets, Insolvency Enquiry Line and Redundancy Payments Helpline; and Conduct confidential fact-finding investigations into companies where it is in the public interest to do so. These enquiries are carried out by Companies Investigation Branch.