If you’re juggling several debts, bringing them together into one affordable monthly payment can make life a great deal simpler. For residents of Scotland, a Trust Deed or the Debt Arrangement Scheme can consolidate your unsecured debts — without you taking out a new loan. It won’t be right for everyone, so we’ll explain the risks too.
The solutions we advise on are debt solutions, not loans; some are forms of insolvency, are recorded on a public register and will affect your credit rating. Your initial advice is free and there’s no obligation; if you go ahead, fees apply and are shown to you in full first. We’re a commercial service — free, independent debt advice is also available from MoneyHelper and the Scottish Government.
Debt consolidation simply means combining several debts into one, so you make a single monthly payment instead of many. A consolidation loan is one way to do that — but it means taking on new borrowing, it usually depends on your credit rating, and if it’s secured on your home, your home could be at risk.
We are not a lender and we don’t offer loans. Instead, we advise residents of Scotland on debt solutions that consolidate what you already owe into one affordable monthly payment — with no new borrowing at all. The two main routes are a Protected Trust Deed and the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS).
With a Trust Deed, qualifying unsecured debt you can’t afford may be written off at the end (subject to your creditors’ agreement, and not guaranteed). With a DAS you repay your debts in full, but with interest and charges frozen and your home and car protected as long as you keep up the payments. We’ll talk you through both, including the risks, before you decide anything.
Rather than lending you money, we look at what you can realistically afford and bring your unsecured debts together into a single monthly payment.
We bring your unsecured debts together into one payment based on your disposable (surplus) income — often lower than the total you pay now.
Because this isn’t a loan, there’s nothing new to be approved for and nothing extra secured against your home just to consolidate.
Once your Trust Deed is protected or your DAS is approved, interest and charges on included debts are frozen so the balance stops growing.
Free, confidential advice with no obligation. Find out in minutes how you could bring your debts into one payment.
See if you qualify →For the right person, these solutions offer real relief. Here are some of the main advantages.
Bring your unsecured debts together into a single monthly payment based on what you can realistically afford.
We deal with your creditors directly, so you no longer have to liaise with them yourself.
Once your solution is in place, interest and charges on the debts included are frozen so the balance stops growing.
Dealing with Scottish debt is all we do, so the advice you get is tailored to the solutions available where you live.
These are debt solutions and some are forms of insolvency — serious commitments. We’ll fully explain the implications and check any solution is affordable, achievable and suitable for you. Another option may be more appropriate.
A Trust Deed or DAS will affect your credit rating and can make obtaining credit harder for a period. If you’re already missing payments, your rating is likely affected already.
A Protected Trust Deed is a form of insolvency recorded on the public Register of Insolvencies, which anyone can search. A DAS is recorded on the DAS Register.
Only unsecured debts (such as credit cards, loans and overdrafts) can be included. You must keep paying secured debts like your mortgage yourself.
With a Trust Deed, how much unsecured debt is written off depends on your circumstances and your creditors’ agreement. Creditors are not obliged to accept a proposal.
In a Trust Deed the trustee has an interest in any equity in your home. Where appropriate this can be managed, but if equity can’t be released your home could be affected.
No single solution is right for everyone. We’ll always check whether another route — or free, impartial advice — would serve you better first.
If the following sounds like you, consolidating your debts without a new loan could be worth exploring. There are other factors we’ll assess, such as your property status and income.
Bring your unsecured debts together into a single affordable monthly payment — with no new borrowing.
Check if you qualify Free initial advice · No credit check to explore your options · Fees apply if you proceed and are shown in full firstYour initial advice is free and there’s no obligation. Trust-Deeds.co.uk is a trading style of My Debt Plan Ltd — a commercial, profit-seeking service, paid for the debt solution you enter into.
If you go ahead with a Protected Trust Deed, your trustee is paid a fixed administration fee plus a further fee based on a percentage of the funds collected during the Trust Deed. These fees are paid from the monthly payments you make, before money is distributed to your creditors — so there is no separate upfront fee. On a Debt Arrangement Scheme, a fee is taken from your monthly payment to cover administering and distributing it to your creditors. Whichever route suits you, all fees are explained and disclosed to you in full before you sign anything.
Depending on your circumstances, another Scottish debt solution may suit you better — we’ll always explain the advantages, disadvantages and risks of each.
A Scottish alternative to bankruptcy for unsecured debts over £5,000. One affordable monthly payment, typically over around four years, after which qualifying unsecured debt you can’t afford is written off (subject to creditor agreement, not guaranteed). A form of insolvency recorded on a public register.
Learn about Trust Deeds →A Scottish Government scheme to repay your debts in full through one affordable payment, with interest and charges frozen and your home and car protected as long as you keep up the payments. It will still affect your credit rating.
Learn about DAS →Find out in minutes how you could bring your debts into one affordable payment — without a new loan. It’s free, confidential and there’s no obligation.
Answer a few quick questions about your situation and a debt advisor at My Debt Plan Ltd will be in touch to talk through your options. It’s free, confidential and there’s no obligation.
See if you qualify →Prefer to speak to someone? Call us on
0161 464 0870Mon–Fri 9am–5pm · Private & confidential, no obligation
Free, independent debt advice is also available from MoneyHelper, StepChange, National Debtline or Citizens Advice Scotland.
Straight answers to the questions people ask most before choosing a Scottish debt solution.
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