David Tannock - 20th February 2025 - 1 minutes to read
Fees apply. May not be suitable in all circumstances. Your credit rating may be affected.
MoneyHelper is a free independent service available to customers offering debt counselling, debt adjusting and providing of credit information services.
A debt arrangement scheme is a common agreement whereby Scottish residents in serious levels of debt can repay their creditors through consolidated monthly or weekly payments.
The process duration depends on the amount of debt involved; it could take several years to repay.
It is a viable alternative to sequestration (bankruptcy) and has a number of benefits which we have touched upon in our specific DAS advantages guide.
However, it goes without saying that all debt management processes have their drawbacks; it’s often a case of having to one step backwards to ultimately move two steps forward. The debt arrangement scheme is no different and here we analyse the key disadvantages of a DAS which you should be aware of:
Get a rough indication of what your repayments might be under each of our different debt solutions.
Debts Not Written Off
In contrast to the other common formal insolvency procedures in Scotland such as trust deeds and sequestration, a debt arrangement scheme exists until your debts are fully repaid – meaning your debts will not be written off. It could take you months or years to reduce your debts, depending on the amount you have.
It won’t come as any surprise but your credit rating may be affected – usually for six years. Your name will be published in the Debt Arrangement Scheme Register which is a public register. The reality is that few people will see it but if anyone does search for your name, they’ll be able to see you subject to a debt arrangement scheme.
A debt arrangement scheme can last for several years if you have large debts and this period can be extended if you have to reduce the amount you pay to creditors each month.

David Tannock
Debt Adviser

A Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) is designed to help you repay your debts through a series of affordable monthly payments, with interest and charges frozen for the duration of your Debt Payment Program...

If you're in a Trust Deed and your financial circumstances have changed, you may be worried about what happens if you can't keep up with your monthly payments.

If you live in Scotland and you've been looking into ways to deal with unmanageable debt, you may have come across the term Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA).
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Sequestration is the Scottish version of bankruptcy and may be suitable for you if you do not have the money to pay back your debts
Find out MoreA Trust Deed involves making a monthly contribution to your debts for up to four years. After this time any remaining debt included in the Trust Deed will not need to be paid.
Find out MoreA Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) lets you pay off your debt through a series of manageable instalments over a reasonable length of time.
Find out MoreWhether you are a sole trader or a limited company director, we can help you work through your current financial problems including money owed to HMRC
Find out MoreOur Insolvency Practitioners are regulated by ICAS or the IPA and our firm is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority
We have FCA authorisation for advice relating to Debt Arrangement Schemes and we are regulated by the ICAS and IPA when giving advice as an insolvency practitioner leading to our appointment in formal insolvency proceedings
Fees and Information: There are fees associated with our services. These will be fully explained before entering into any of the personal debt solutions referred to on this website. Full details of our fees and how these are charged are fully explained to you prior to you committing to any particular service.
