Abstract
ABSTRACT The UK government underwrote more than 1.68 million business loans totalling £78.4bn during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that the Bounce Back Loan (BBL) had a 100% guarantee and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) 80%, the public sector contingent liability is very large. In this article, we explore whether or not the recent and dramatic rises in UK inflation have prompted firms with COVID-19 BBL and CBILS guaranteed loans to repay their outstanding debt early (in advance of the full 6-year loan term as specified in the original loan agreement). Our results show that this was indeed the case with increasing inflation exerting a strong and positive effect on early loan repayment on both guarantee schemes. This is consistent with the firm’s debt aversion and a desire to reduce existing debts in anticipation of a future economic recession, liquidity problems and high interest rates.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.