Latest news from Companies House

In this newsletter:

An update on our progress under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act
Advice on how to protect your business from a ransomware attack
Information on changes to unfair dismissal rights
A new YouTube playlist to help guide you through the identity verification process

Our progress under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act

Working with our partners, we're making real progress under the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act.

From identity verification to enforcement action, find out what we’ve been doing to improve the accuracy of the Companies House register and disrupt economic crime.

Find out more about the progress

Protect your business from ransomware attacks

Ransomware is one of the biggest threats to businesses and organisations across the UK. New data from Report Fraud reveals that 323 companies were targeted by ransomware attacks last year.

Report Fraud is urging organisations to protect themselves from the active threat of ransomware attacks. It has a 24/7 phone line dedicated for small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are under a cyberattack.

If you’re an SME currently experiencing a ransomware attack, you should report it immediately by calling Report Fraud on 0300 123 2040.

Read guidance on what you need to know about ransomware

Changes to unfair dismissal rights

Changes to unfair dismissal rights will take effect from 1 January 2027. This will reduce the qualifying period to claim ordinary unfair dismissal from 2 years to 6 months.

Employees with at least 6 months’ service will gain immediate protection, meaning this will apply to all those employed from July 2026.

The government will also remove the existing cap on compensatory awards for unfair dismissal.

Identity verification YouTube playlist

We've created a dedicated YouTube playlist to help guide you through the identity verification process.

The videos include guidance on how to complete verification, including examples on how to provide your personal code as both a director and person with significant control (PSC).

Watch our identity verification playlist