Register as a creditor if a person or company owes you money and the court issues them with a bankruptcy or winding-up order.

When you register, you will be added to the list of creditors (people who are owed money). You are not guaranteed any payment, but you will be:

• kept informed about the case 
• allowed to vote on decisions at any creditors’ meetings 

How to register 

Contact the person who is handling the case and tell them you are owed money. 

You can find their details on either: 

• the Individual Insolvency Register (external link) if it is an individual bankruptcy 
• the Companies House website (external link) if it is a company liquidation 

If you are owed more than £1,000 you will need to submit a ‘Proof of Debt’ form (external link).  

If you are owed £1,000 or less, you need to give the person handling your case your contact details and tell them how much you are owed. 

Who handles the case 

Your case will usually be handled by a court official who deals with bankruptcies and liquidations, known as an ‘official receiver’.

They might hand the case over to an insolvency practitioner - a lawyer or accountant who specialises in debt recovery.

The official receiver or insolvency practitioner might also be called:

• the ’trustee’ in a bankruptcy 
• the ‘liquidator’ in a company liquidation 

Read the guidance on what happens after you have registered as a creditor (external link).