Senserity
Senserity Help

Active winding-up petition: what the check means

What an unresolved winding-up petition against a company means, why it is one of the most urgent warning signs for suppliers, and what to do before the hearing.

Severity
Critical
Category
Legal
Plan
Free and above
Test code
LEG-022
Source
The Gazette (London, Edinburgh and Belfast) · check it yourself

0.03% of UK companies show the related measure: winding-up petition advertised

The published figure counts petitions advertised in the past twelve months, whether or not they have since been resolved.

1,745 of 5,416,028 companies where this can be known, measured 1 October 2026. From the UK Supplier Risk Index, public registers only.

What this test checks

Looks for a winding-up petition against the company, published in the Gazette, that has not yet been settled by a court order or a dismissal. A petition is a creditor's formal claim to the court that the company cannot pay a debt and should be wound up.

Petitions are advertised before the hearing and usually resolved within weeks, either by a winding-up order or by being dismissed or withdrawn, so an unresolved petition means the company is in that window now.

What a fail looks like

An unresolved petition exists. Once a petition is public the company's bank will often freeze its accounts, and if a winding-up order follows, payments the company made after the petition was presented can be reversed.

Harmless explanations

  • Petitions are often dismissed or withdrawn because the debt was paid, settled or genuinely disputed.
  • A petition can be presented over a single disputed invoice while the company is otherwise sound.

What to do

  • Be cautious about taking payment from the company until the petition is resolved, as it could be reclaimed if a winding-up order is made.
  • Avoid extending new credit, and secure any goods you have supplied on retention of title.
  • Check the hearing date in the notice and look for the outcome afterwards.

Background: What insolvency means for a supplier.

Part of the test catalogue. Every check Senserity runs, with its severity and the plan it is available on.

Last reviewed .

On this page

What this test checksWhat a fail looks likeHarmless explanationsWhat to doRelated tests