If a person or company owes you money and the court issues them with a bankruptcy or winding-up order, use a ‘Proof of Debt’ form to register as a creditor.
When you register, you’ll be added to the list of creditors (people who are owed money). You’re not guaranteed any payment, but you’ll be:
- kept informed about the case
- allowed to vote on decisions at any creditors’ meetings
Creditor claims are different in Scotland - see the Accountant in Bankruptcy website.
How to register
Send the form to the person who is handling the case. This is usually an official receiver (OR) to begin with. Official receivers are court officials who deal with bankruptcies and liquidations.
The official receiver may hand over the case to an insolvency practitioner (IP) - a lawyer or accountant who specialises in debt recovery. In a bankruptcy, the official receiver or insolvency practitioner is known as the ‘trustee’. In a company liquidation, they’re known as the ‘liquidator’.
If you don’t have the address of the official receiver or insolvency practitioner, find their details on either:
- the Individual Insolvency Register if it’s an individual bankruptcy
- the Companies House website if it’s a company liquidation
Read the guidance on what happens after you’ve registered as creditor.