{"id":160420,"date":"2026-03-24T10:33:00","date_gmt":"2026-03-24T10:33:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/?p=160420"},"modified":"2026-03-24T12:41:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T12:41:16","slug":"new-late-payment-measures-put-place-retention-payments-banned","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pbctoday.co.uk\/news\/hr-skills-news\/new-late-payment-measures-put-place-retention-payments-banned\/160420\/","title":{"rendered":"New late payment measures put in place and retention payments banned"},"content":{"rendered":"

The government has today announced new powers for the Small Business Commissioner (SBC) to combat late payments<\/h2>\n

The new late payment measures include the ability for the SBC to adjudicate payment disputes, particularly between small- and large-businesses.<\/p>\n

The SBC will also have the ability to issue multi-million-pound fines to big businesses, especially when repeat offenders are involved.<\/p>\n

Late payments impact the economy as a whole<\/h3>\n

Up to \u00a311bn is lost in the UK economy every year due to poor payment practices<\/a>, with around 38 businesses \u2013 especially SMEs \u2013 having to shut down every day because they are not paid on time.<\/p>\n

This impact has not gone unnoticed by the construction industry, which still sees one of the highest insolvency rates of any industry.<\/p>\n

The measures laid out today are some of the toughest in the G7 and build on late payment legislation from the 1998 Late Payment of Commercial Debt Act. Now, a 60-day cap is being imposed on payment terms for all large firms paying small suppliers, and a mandatory interest on late payments is being introduced at 8% above the Bank of England base rate.<\/p>\n

And withholding retention payments<\/a> is set to be banned in construction contracts, preventing small firms from losing retentions when companies enter insolvency.<\/p>\n

Business secretary, Peter Kyle, said: \u201cFar too many businesses are forced to shut down because they have not been paid \u2013 that is simply unacceptable.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are unveiling the strongest, most robust changes to payment laws in over a generation \u2013 laws that will transform the fortunes of small businesses for years to come and make their day to day lives much easier.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr David Crosthwaite, chief economist at BCIS, said: “Late payment has long been a pressure point in construction supply chains, particularly for SMEs and specialist contractors, where delays can place significant strain on cashflow.<\/p>\n

“The government\u2019s proposed reforms represent a positive step towards improving payment discipline.<\/p>\n

“Stronger enforcement powers, a 60-day cap on payment terms and mandatory interest on late payments would help improve the flow of money through supply chains and provide greater certainty for smaller firms.<\/p>\n

“However, insolvency risk in construction is typically driven by a combination of factors.<\/p>\n

“Alongside cashflow pressures, firms continue to operate with tight margins, cost volatility and exposure to project-specific risks, as well as higher employment and business costs, including recent increases in employer-related costs, which are adding to overall cost pressures.<\/p>\n

“In this context, late payment can act as a trigger in an already fragile financial position.<\/p>\n

“Proposals to address retention practices are particularly relevant, given the risk to firms when upstream contractors become insolvent.<\/p>\n

“However, retentions have traditionally played a role in managing defects liability and quality assurance, so any changes will need to ensure that appropriate mechanisms remain in place to maintain delivery standards.<\/p>\n

“There may also be scope to strengthen payment security further through mechanisms such as project bank accounts, which can support more reliable and timely distribution of funds across supply chains.<\/p>\n

“The reforms come at a time when firms are still managing ongoing cost pressures and economic uncertainty.<\/p>\n

“Improving payment practices should support greater financial resilience across the sector, although the overall impact will depend on how these measures interact with wider market conditions.”<\/p>\n

Insolvency remains high in the construction industry<\/h3>\n

In September,<\/a> the Insolvency Service released stats highlighting the continued climb of insolvency rates in construction companies, and that 15.2% of all insolvencies in England and Wales in July are construction companies, a climb of 2.5% from June.<\/p>\n

In the 12 months to July 2025, 3,973 construction companies entered insolvency, a decrease of 9.5% annually, but a marked increase on 23.5% on 2019\u2019s figures, meaning since COVID, insolvencies have skyrocketed and maintained a high level.<\/p>\n

Analysis by EY Parthenon noted that there are many factors to consider both within and outside the UK, writing: \u201cUnpredictable tariff policy, rising employment costs and shifting regulatory frameworks are reshaping corporate behaviour. As the second half of the year begins, sectors exposed to discretionary spending and policy-sensitive industries like healthcare, retail and energy also face mounting pressure.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen everything feels like a risk, it becomes harder to know which threats matter most. Companies can\u2019t react to every event, but the speed of change means that a \u2018wait and see\u2019 approach isn\u2019t an effective long-term strategy either. Businesses need a measured, scenario-based approach that balances agility with strategic clarity to face ongoing uncertainty.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Withholding retention payments has been banned as part of late payment measures introduced today by the government.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":160421,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[285],"tags":[20347,908,276,173203,621],"stakeholder_rel_tag":[],"contributor_rel_tag":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-160420","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-hr-skills-news","8":"tag-administration","9":"tag-economy","10":"tag-government","11":"tag-payment-processes","12":"tag-sme"},"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nNew late payment measures put in place and retention payments banned<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Withholding 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