*The expected debt write-off figure of up to 70% is based on 1,671 Protected Trust Deeds currently administered by Trust Deed Scotland® and protected between 1 January 2023 and December 31 2023.

The expected write-off percentage includes the costs of administering each Protected Trust Deed (PTD). More information relating to the costs of administration can be found by clicking here on our Fees Information page.

In this sample of PTDs, the expected write-off figure reaches as high as 84%. 226 PTDs or 13.5% of the cases have an expected debt write-off percentage between 70% and 84%. The average (mean) expected write-off is 51%.

Your decision to apply for a Protected Trust Deed should not be taken purely on a proposed debt write off amount alone. It is very rare for a Trust Deed not to be protected with Trust Deed Scotland® and we have one of the best protection rates in our industry, for example, in 2023, we achieved a protection rate of 98.6%, this made us the best performing volume provider of Protected Trust Deeds in Scotland.

Trust Deed Scotland® provide tailored debt advice on all available debt solutions in Scotland.

We make sure that our customers get personalised debt advice based on their affordability, lifestyle and needs. May not be suitable for all. Will affect credit rating.

To find out what your options are, simply complete our online form or just call us on 0141 221 0999.

There are a few differences between the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) and a Scottish Trust Deed but the main differences are as follows.

Length – Trust Deeds last for 4 years. After this time, any remaining unaffordable debt is paid off. With the Debt Arrangement Scheme, they last until all your debt is repaid, this can be up to 12 years.

Amount of debt – to qualify for Scottish Trust Deeds, you must owe at least £5,000 of unsecured debt. For the Debt Arrangement Scheme in Scotland, there is no minimum debt level.

Assets – A Debt Arrangement Scheme does not involve any assets.

There are other alternative Scottish debt solutions too. You should always get debt advice tailored to your own circumstances, as all cases are unique depending on your situation and affordability.

How long does a DAS take to setup? The Debt Arrangement Scheme can take 5–6 weeks to set up. DAS is not insolvency, it is the only statutory debt management plan in the UK, however there are some procedures required. These include requesting up to date balances from creditors, preparing a proposal which is sent to creditors, and dealing with potential objections.

Using our Trust Deed Wizard® tool helps to speed up those administration processes and having an in-house team that handles the Debt Arrangement Scheme from initial enquiry, to DAS application and implementation helps to secure a Debt Arrangement Scheme quicker than most other approved DAS Money Advisers.

The Debt Arrangement Scheme can include most unsecured debts, including:

✓ Credit Cards ✓  Store Cards ✓  Personal Loans ✓ Overdrafts ✓ Payday Loans ✓ Council Tax Arrears ✓ Utility Bill Arrears ✓  Shopping Catalogues ✓  Credit Unions ✓ HMRC

The following secured debts but only the arrears – this is optional:

✓  Mortgage Arrears, which are missed mortgage payments ✓  Rent Arrears, which are missed rent payments ✓  Car Finance Arrears, which are missed payments on your car, such as with an HP agreement

The following cannot be included in a DAS: Student Loans. Court Fines. CSA / Child Maintenance Arrears

Find out more about Trust Deeds too as there are variations in the types of debt that can be included in a DAS but more so, it allows you to make an informed decision on whether a formal debt solution is likely to be a type of Debt Consolidation that fits your needs.

In Scotland, Trust Deeds are a valuable formal Scottish debt solution that offers a way to manage your unaffordable debt.

You can reduce your monthly debt payments down to an affordable level and make a fresh start in as little as 48 months. You must have a minimum of £5,000 of unsecured debt to qualify, but you can apply for a Trust Deed if you have over £50,000 of unsecured debt also.

If you qualify, a Trust Deed is right for you depending on your personal circumstances and ultimately you should be given qualified debt advice to explain to you the advantages of Trust Deeds and the disadvantages of Trust Deeds and there are alternative debt solutions in Scotland that may be more suitable for you such as the Debt Arrangement Scheme.

You should never feel pushed into taking a Trust Deed, or indeed any other type of debt management product including debt consolidation loans.

When asking yourself the question Is a Trust Deed right for me, only you can make that decision after receiving balanced and transparent debt advice.

If you need more information on how Trust Deeds work, call us on 0141 221 0999 for confidential debt advice, or try our Trust Deed Wizard^® tool now.

When you enter into a Protected Trust Deed (or DAS) your future interest and charges will be frozen.

When you successfully complete the Trust Deed term, any remaining unsecured debt will be written off.

After entering into a Trust Deed, you’ll be paying back what you can afford to repay each month for a fixed period.

When you enter into a Debt Payment Programme under the Debt Arrangement Scheme (Scotland), you will legally freeze the interest and charges from the debts included in your DPP.

Like Trust Deeds, you will be paying back an agreed, affordable amount each month for a fixed period, and should you successfully complete the agreed DPP term, you will not need to repay interest and charges.

Trust Deeds in Scotland are only available to residents who currently live in or have lived in Scotland within the last 12 months, or have a place of business in Scotland.

You typically have at least £5,000 of unsecured debt and example unsecured debts such as credit card debts, council tax arrears, bank overdrafts, and personal loans.

If you want to find out if you’d qualify for a Trust Deed or alternative Scottish debt solutions; use our Trust Deed Wizard^® tool.

If you are based in England, Wales or Northern Ireland and have not lived in Scotland in the last 12 months, then other debt solutions exist such as an IVA or a Debt Relief Order. These may be more suitable for you depending on your circumstances as those debt solutions are only available for residents of those countries.

We’re a professional Trust Deed company giving tailored debt advice and information on the advantages and disadvantages of  Trust Deeds and other alternatives including the Debt Arrangement Scheme.

Not only do we give advice on Scottish debt solutions in Scotland but we also implement the solutions on your behalf. This means that you will remain with us from the initial enquiry, during the process and thereafter. This continuity in service means that you’re not passed onto numerous companies during the process.

We’ve helped over 30,000 people in Scotland get their finances in shape, and have a 5/5 rating on TrustPilot based on thousands of trust deed reviews. We’re proud to say that since we first started out, we’ve become Scotland’s No.1 Trust Deed Specialists.

The Trust Deed Scotland^® service is non-judgemental and confidential and there’s no obligation to agree to anything after talking to us. We aim to ensure that you feel empowered to make an informed decision on whether a formal Scottish debt solution is right for you.

There are no setup fees payable by an individual entering into a Debt Payment Plan (DPP) through the Debt Arrangement Scheme. This is the same for all individuals whether they use an insolvency practitioner/private sector firm (e.g. Harper McDermott Ltd) or a public sector organisation (e.g. CAB or local authority Money Adviser).

The costs of administering the scheme are borne by the creditors and are the same for all DAS providers i.e. from every £ received into the scheme, 22p is used to pay these costs; this 22p is split between the DAS Administrator (2p) and the Money Adviser (20p).

There may also be a payment made to the Payment Distributor (PD) and, if so, this would result in the Money Adviser’s fee being reduced by the same amount as paid to the PD (normally around 5p in the £).

The remaining amounts are distributed amongst all creditors on a pro rata basis and a successfully completed DPP deems all debts to be repaid in full.

The fees and expenses of your DPP will be explained in detail in your DAS paperwork. You do not have to pay additional fees other than those you agree to and if you do not proceed with a solution after seeking advice then there is no charge for our services.

This means that at no point during the duration of your DAS will you be liable to pay ongoing fees, 100% of your repayment amount is used to make payments to your debt. This includes the free DAS advice that you receive even before you even apply. See Trust Deed Scotland fees for more information.

Our current Debt Payment Programme (DPP) under the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) creditor acceptance rate is 99.99%.

This means that in almost every case that we’ve proposed on our customers’ behalf, we have been able to get their DAS proposal approved by their creditors. A creditor is someone to who you money. For example, a credit card company or catalogue company.

In this sample of 1,144 Debt Payment Programmes (DPPs) under the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS), approved between July 2019 and October 2021, only 1 proposed DPP was rejected and unable to proceed.

You can find out more about the advantage and disadvantages of the Debt Arrangement Scheme by calling Trust Deed Scotland^® on 0141 221 0999.