SMEs Turn to Borrowing for Cashflow as 38% of Loans Shift Away from Growth Purbeck Insurance Services calls for Budget leniency for SMEs amid record demand for personal guarantee-backed loans
November 2025 – The U.K.’s only provider of personal guarantee insurance (PGI) to small business owners - Purbeck Insurance Services - is calling on the Government to use the 26 November Budget to give small businesses the certainty and stability they urgently need. The plea comes as new data reveals firms are pulling back on investment, borrowing more to maintain cashflow, and taking on greater personal financial risk with October ’25 a record month for applications for PGI. Purbeck’s analysis shows that 38% of SME loans taken in October were purely for working capital, to sustain cashflow. This is the highest proportion the business has recorded since the start of 2025.