Debt Arrangement Scheme: what it is, what it costs and who it suits
A Debt Arrangement Scheme lasts until repaid in full. Here is what you pay, what happens to your home and credit file, and the risks — explained without the sales pitch.
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Checked against the the 2025 IVA Protocol and current government guidance. Figures verified 2026-08-14. See the figures we use.
How it works
A single monthly payment through a Debt Payment Programme.. Until the debt is repaid in full. There is no write-off.
Who it is for
Scottish residents who can repay in full over a reasonable period and want legal protection while doing it. It is not insolvency.
What it costs
No fee to you. Interest and charges are frozen by statute.
What happens to your home
Not affected. This is the key difference from a Trust Deed.
What it does to your credit file
Recorded while the programme runs and for a period afterwards. Recorded on the DAS Register, which is public.
Protection from creditors
Statutory protection from creditor enforcement, and interest and charges are frozen — a significant advantage over an English DMP.
The risks you need to weigh
- You repay everything — nothing is written off.
- Programmes can run a long time.
- It is a public register entry.
How it compares
| DAS | IVA | DMP | DRO | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Formal insolvency | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Where it applies | Scotland only | England, Wales and Northern Ireland | The whole of the UK | England and Wales (Northern Ireland has its own version with different thresholds) |
| Typical duration | Until repaid in full | 60 months, or 72 with home equity | Until the debt is repaid — no fixed end | 12 months |
| Monthly payments | Monthly, until cleared | Monthly, affordability-based | Monthly, flexible, changeable | No payments at all |
| Your home | Not affected | Excluded; equity sets the term | Not affected | Not available to homeowners |
| Credit file impact | Recorded for the duration | 6 years from the start date | Defaults recorded, 6 years each | 6 years from the order date |
| Public register | Recorded on the DAS Register, which is public. | Listed on the public Individual Insolvency Register, which anyone can search. Your address can be withheld only on evidenced safety grounds. | Nothing public. A DMP is a private arrangement. | Listed on the public Individual Insolvency Register. |
| Fees | Free; interest frozen by law | Paid from your monthly payments | Free providers available | Free — no application fee |
| Creditor protection | Statutory protection | Legally binding on included creditors | None — entirely voluntary | Full protection, then write-off |
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Common questions
Does a DAS write off any debt?
No, and this is the fundamental trade-off. You repay everything you owe. What you get in exchange is statutory protection from enforcement and a legal freeze on interest and charges — which for many people is the difference between a debt that shrinks and one that never moves.
Is a DAS better than a Trust Deed?
Neither is better in the abstract. A DAS repays in full but protects your assets and is not insolvency. A Trust Deed writes off the remainder after four years but is a formal insolvency, appears on the public register, and puts your home equity in scope. Which fits depends on what you own, what you earn, and how long full repayment would take. A money adviser approved for DAS will work that out with you.
Related guides
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