Crackdown on late payments in major support package for small businesses

The government has unveiled new measures to support small businesses and the self-employed by tackling the scourge of late payments, which is costing small businesses £22,000 a year on average and leads to 50,000 business closures a year.

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In addition, new legislation being brought in the coming weeks will require all large businesses to include payment reporting in their annual reports - putting the onus on them to provide clarity in their annual reports about how they treat small firms. This will mean company boards and international investors will be able to see how firms are operating.

Enforcement will also be stepped up on the existing late payment performance reporting regulations which require large companies to report their payment performance twice yearly on GOV.UK.

Every quarter, 52% of small firms in the UK suffer from late payments, meaning roughly 2.6 million small firms face this issue, with the Federation of Small Businesses describing it as one of the biggest problems facing SMEs.

Late payments are just one element of the problem, with some SMEs forced to wait months for contracts to be fulfilled and some are even forced to take out loans against their own homes to manage cash flow.

Cracking down on late payments will unlock growth for 5.5 million small firms by enabling them to invest their time hiring more employees, boosting wages, and exporting around the world, rather than chasing down late payments.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: "We’re determined to back small businesses by unlocking their barriers to growth, and stamping out late payments is at the heart of this.

"We know how important it is for business owners to have the peace of mind and certainty around their cashflow to keep their businesses alive. Late payments cost businesses tens of thousands of pounds and is one of the biggest reasons businesses collapse.

"After years of delay, we’re bringing forward measures that small businesses have long been calling for to tackle late payments once and for all."

Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:  "Late payments are simply unacceptable and this government is determined to level the playing field for small business. When the cashflow runs dry, small firms go under which is why we need to hold larger business to account with their payment practices and foster an environment that supports growth and jobs.

"Slashing trade barriers, reforming business rates, getting more SMEs exporting – this government is committed to small firms. We know there’s a lot more to be done, but today we are calling time on late payers once and for all."