Despite identity verification becoming mandatory on 18 November 2025, the first Insolvency Service prosecutions have only arrived now. In a GOV.UK Insolvency Service announcement, the agency said, “Directors warned to verify identities with Companies House following first Insolvency Service prosecutions.” It added, “Court action highlights legal duty on directors to complete identity verification.” For anyone who assumed the November 2025 deadline had cleared the issue, today’s timing says otherwise.
What the source says
The announcement turns a compliance duty into an enforcement story. Companies House identity verification became mandatory on 18 November
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Yet the first Insolvency Service prosecutions have only been published on 17 September
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That lag is the surprise. It shows director verification remains a live issue for the register, the courts, and any creditor relying on company data. The issue is no longer whether the rule exists. It is whether directors complied, and whether enforcement now changes trust in counterparties.
What this means for UK creditors
If a customer or supplier has unresolved director verification issues, review authority, continuity, and filing control before exposure rises. Check who can sign, who still manages the company, and whether recent filings tell a consistent story. For SME creditors, that can support tighter payment terms, shorter review cycles, and quicker escalation when other signals cluster. For advisers, it is a prompt to revisit portfolios waved through after the 2025 rule change. When governance signals stack up, unsecured exposure deserves the first call, not the last. The practical read is simple: director compliance now belongs in routine credit monitoring, not a one-off onboarding file.
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