If you’re worried about being chased personally for a Bounce Back Loan…

SmallBizBecs

New Member
Oct 13, 2025
2
1
I keep seeing mixed information online about Bounce Back Loans — especially whether banks can chase directors personally — so I thought it might be worth clearing it up here.

A Bounce Back Loan is a company debt, not a personal one. It sits with the limited company, not the director. That means if the business can’t repay it, you’re usually protected by limited liability – the lender can’t automatically go after your personal assets.

The exceptions are where the loan was misused or the company carried on trading when it was clearly insolvent. In those cases, the Insolvency Service can investigate and, if necessary, hold a director personally responsible.

If you used the loan for genuine business costs and acted responsibly once things got tough, you shouldn’t be personally liable. There’s a lot of noise out there on this topic, but that’s the basic position.
 
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I keep seeing mixed information online about Bounce Back Loans — especially whether banks can chase directors personally — so I thought it might be worth clearing it up here.

A Bounce Back Loan is a company debt, not a personal one. It sits with the limited company, not the director. That means if the business can’t repay it, you’re usually protected by limited liability – the lender can’t automatically go after your personal assets.

The exceptions are where the loan was misused or the company carried on trading when it was clearly insolvent. In those cases, the Insolvency Service can investigate and, if necessary, hold a director personally responsible.

If you used the loan for genuine business costs and acted responsibly once things got tough, you shouldn’t be personally liable. There’s a lot of noise out there on this topic, but that’s the basic position.

Whilst it doesn't directly qualify as being chased for BBL, probably the most common scenario right now is directors being chased for DLAs
 
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SmallBizBecs

New Member
Oct 13, 2025
2
1
Whilst it doesn't directly qualify as being chased for BBL, probably the most common scenario right now is directors being chased for DLAs
The thing is, unlike a BBL, you’re personally liable to repay the overdrawn amount back to the company—because that money could be used to repay creditors. In short, an overdrawn DLA becomes a debt you owe the company.
 
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Lisa Thomas

Business Member
Business Listing
Apr 20, 2015
5,440
1
1,441
www.parkerandrews.co.uk
I agree - the bank are (or at least they were at one point ) giving out misleading information to directors, in some cases telling them they were personally liable for the limited company's BBL, hence my ranty video:

 
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WaveJumper

Free Member
  • Business Listing
    Aug 26, 2013
    6,620
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    2,396
    Essex
    I agree - the bank are (or at least they were at one point ) giving out misleading information to directors, in some cases telling them they were personally liable for the limited company's BBL, hence my ranty video:

    I love your ranty video
     
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