Department for Business and Trade Records Over £28.2 million in Late Payments

The UK Department for Business and Trade recorded more than £28.17 million in invoices paid late between April 2023 and May 2026, according to Freedom of Information data. The disclosure is notable because DBT is also central to the government’s programme to improve payment practices and reduce the cash-flow damage caused by late payment.

The data, obtained through an FOI request and analysed by Parliament think tank, identifies 1,449 late-paid invoices over the period, with the value of delayed payments peaking in 2024–25 despite a fall in invoice volume.

Late-payment figures

Although the number of late invoices declined from 565 in 2023–24 to 499 in 2024–25, their value increased by roughly £1.77 million. That suggests the department’s largest payment delays occurred in higher-value transactions during the middle year of the data set.

Policy credibility test

The figures arrive as the government advances an agenda intended to tackle poor B2B payment practices. DBT’s late-payment programme includes proposed legislation, enhanced powers for the Small Business Commissioner, and continuing payment-practice reporting and transparency measures. The government states that late payments can constrain cash flow, raise operating costs and limit businesses’ ability to invest and grow.

For suppliers—particularly small and medium-sized businesses—payment timing is often as consequential as the contracted price. Delayed settlement can force firms to absorb financing costs, postpone payroll or supplier payments, and devote staff time to collections activity. The departmental data therefore creates an uncomfortable juxtaposition: the body charged with helping lead the UK’s late-payment reform effort has itself disclosed a substantial amount of late-paid invoices.

Industry response

Kenny MacAulay, chief executive of accountancy software firm Acting Office, said that delayed payments create knock-on effects through the economy.

He added that small businesses are particularly exposed because they depend on reliable cash flow for wages, rent and core operating costs, and that a single late receipt can lead to a chain of missed deadlines and increasing financial pressure.

Collection implications

For credit and collections professionals, the disclosure underscores a familiar reality: prompt-payment policy requires operational discipline as well as public commitments. Invoice workflow controls, dispute-management processes, approval escalation, accurate supplier records and transparent payment-performance reporting are all necessary if organisations are to prevent ageing payables from becoming systemic.

The declining invoice count in the final full year may point to improvement, but the £6.9 million value of late-paid invoices in 2025–26 shows that material exposure remained. As DBT moves forward with reforms designed to raise payment standards across the private sector, its own performance will likely face closer scrutiny from suppliers, business groups and payment-practice advocates.