When you get debt advice, an impartial expert will look at your finances and recommend ways to get them back on track. They’ll also look at options called debt solutions that could help you deal with your debts. Getting debt advice usually includes setting up a monthly budget, suggesting ways to reduce your spending or increase the money you have coming in, explaining what could happen if you don’t pay your debts, telling you which of your debts you need to pay first, and then going through your debt solutions to explain how they work, how they affect you, and any costs there might be to set one up. Getting debt advice usually takes about an hour and can be done online over the phone. or face to face. Any information you provide will be kept confidential and shouldn’t affect your credit file or involve any credit checks. And once you’ve chosen the best option for you, you’ll be given a record of your debt advice along with the details of what you need to do next. Finally, always make sure any organization you get debt advice from is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).
These are run by the Scottish Government. Repay your debts through a 'debt payment programme' (DPP) Make one monthly or weekly payment to your creditors Your creditors cannot take any further action while the DPP is in place Find out more about DPPs under the debt arrangement scheme
This is a legally binding arrangement between you and the people you owe. Repay your debts over four years Make one monthly payment Any remaining debt is written off at the end Find out more about protected trust deeds
Also known as full administration bankruptcy. Write off debts you cannot repay in a reasonable time You have to be sure this is right before going ahead Find out more about sequestration
Our DMPs are free. Make one monthly affordable payment to us We share it fairly among your creditors Find out more about our DMPs
A MAP bankruptcy is: A way of writing off debts you cannot afford to repay It is designed for people on lower incomes Find out more about MAP bankruptcy
A TPP gets you extra time to handle your debt problems and ease things with the people you owe money to. You pay £1 each month to everyone you owe for up to one year Send the money to us and we share it among the people you owe money to Find out more about a TPP
You may be able to clear some debt if you have: A lump sum of money or An asset like property, a car or savings Find out more about settlement offers
This is when you: Take out one large loan Use it to repay all your other debts This can be a risky solution. Find out more about debt consolidation
Free up the money in your home. Use this to improve your financial situation There is no need to move Find out more about equity release
Re-mortgaging can give you extra money to repay your debts. There are lots of different things to consider before you do this. Get mortgage advice
We can help you: Learn how to increase your income Read our tips on reducing your spending Take control of your finances Budgeting and money advice
Did you know… An estimated £23 billion of benefits and social tariffs in the UK is unclaimed. You may think that once you have applied for Universal Credit, the benefit system will make sure you get everything that is available to you. This is not the case. This is why we are here to offer support and maximise your income. Our successes so far Between April and September 2024, our Welfare Benefits Team have supported 408 clients, to Secure £114,648 in unclaimed benefits and grants Get £6,624 in backdated claims Discover £1,681,000 in available benefits Secure £17,437 in grants We have also given out around 50 Trussell Trust food vouchers to support clients who are waiting for their new benefits to be applied We can help Our dedicated Welfare Benefits team can help you find if you are entitled to any extra benefits. This could boost your income, make it easier to manage your finances and repay any debts you might have. You will need to live in Scotland, and have an account with us to get started. You can create an account using our online debt advice tool, or over the phone. Once you have an account, call us on 0800 138 1111 and ask to speak to a Welfare Benefits advisor. They are available to talk to you from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
Yes, debt collectors can visit your home. They can also request you pay your debts by: Email Telephone Post By law, they cannot make you pay anything. All they can do is contact you. The debt collection process What your creditors can do Sheriff officers’ rights and powers
Yes, but the rules depend on type of debt. For debts regulated by the Consumer Credit Act: The creditor must send you a default notice first They must give you at least 14 days to reply before they start court action If you owe less than £5,000: The court will send you a ‘simple procedure notice of claim (form 6A)' If you owe more than £5,000: The court will send you an ‘initial writ’. What to do if you receive a claim How to deal with Council Tax arrears What is diligence? What is a court decision or decree?