UK insolvency advice by sector

Insolvency procedure is largely standardised — the Insolvency Act 1986, the Companies Act 2006, the procedural rules — but how a case actually runs depends materially on the sector. A construction insolvency engages retention payments, sub-contractor exposure, and CIS arrangements that don't appear in retail. A healthcare insolvency engages CQC registration that cannot be transferred to a buyer — shaping every procedural decision. A property insolvency is typically lender-led rather than HMRC-led, producing different procedural sequencing. The same procedure applied across sectors produces materially different outcomes.

This page is the entry point for sector-specific advisory. It surfaces the 10 UK sectors IQ Insolvency works across, the distress patterns distinctive to each, and the procedural framing that sector experience shapes. Each sector has its own hub with substantive content — this page exists to help you find the right one.

Healthcare engages CQC and local authority commissioners. Professional services engages SRA, ICAEW, ACCA, RICS, FCA. Education engages Ofsted and DfE. Each regulator has its own engagement requirements that the procedural framework must accommodate.

Construction has retention payments and sub-contractor exposure. Hospitality has substantial workforce and customer deposit obligations. Property has lender-led decision making with cross-default and SPV structures. Each profile shapes which procedure is appropriate and how it must run.

Manufacturing has retention of title (ROT) clauses and customer-funded tooling. Retail has stock and lease portfolios. Property has fixed-charge security and SPV structures. Healthcare has CQC registration as a non-transferable asset. Each asset profile shapes realisation strategy and creditor priority.

Hospitality faces seasonal cash flow and Budget cost shock. Retail faces structural online displacement. Healthcare faces fee deficit and workforce cost compression. Property faces rate environment and refinancing wall pressure. Each pattern shapes the timing and type of procedural intervention that produces the best outcome.

Administration in healthcare prioritises continuity of care for residents alongside creditor outcomes. Administration in property is typically lender-led and focused on secured asset realisation. Administration in professional services typically prioritises managed sale to a successor firm with PII run-off transition. Same procedure, three different operating frameworks.

CVL in construction frequently engages parallel claims under the Construction Act payment regime, retention release, and sub-contractor interaction. CVL in hospitality engages lease portfolio considerations, employee redundancy at scale, and stock realisation. CVL in technology frequently engages IP asset realisation, customer transition obligations, and venture investor interaction. Same procedure, three different practical workstreams.

HMRC engagement in hospitality typically focuses on Time to Pay arrangements for VAT and PAYE/NIC arrears under workforce cost pressure. HMRC engagement in property is typically smaller (lower headcount limits PAYE; CT depends on profitability). HMRC engagement in professional services is typically modest (workforce-light). Same HMRC framework, three different commercial postures.