What Is the DAS Register? Scotland's Debt Scheme

What the DAS Register Actually Is

If someone in Scotland has set up a formal repayment plan through the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS), their programme is recorded on a public database called the DAS Register. This is not a credit blacklist or a warning system — it is simply the official record that a Debt Payment Programme (DPP) exists and is legally in force.

The register is maintained by the Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB), the Scottish Government agency responsible for administering personal insolvency and debt repayment in Scotland. Anyone can search the register online, though in practice it is most often checked by creditors, money advisers, and enforcement agents who need to confirm whether a DPP is active before taking any recovery action.

Being listed on the DAS Register is not a negative event in itself — it is confirmation that a person has taken formal steps to deal with their debts in a structured, legally recognised way. Once a DPP is approved and recorded, creditors are legally prevented from pursuing diligence (the Scottish term for enforcement action such as earnings arrestment or bank account arrestment) for the duration of the programme.

Who Can Search the DAS Register — and What They See

The DAS Register is publicly accessible at dasregister.aib.gov.uk. Searches can be carried out using a person's name and postcode, or by a reference number if one is known. The information displayed for an active DPP typically includes:

• The full name of the debtor
• The postcode associated with the DPP
• The date the DPP was approved
• The current status of the programme (e.g. active, completed, revoked)
• Whether a payment break or variation is currently in place

The register does not display the total amount of debt, the names of creditors, monthly payment amounts, or personal address details beyond postcode. This limits the information available to the general public while still giving creditors the confirmation they need to know that enforcement action is prohibited.

When a DPP is successfully completed — meaning all agreed debts have been repaid in full — the entry is updated to show completion, and the legal protections that applied during the programme formally end. If a DPP is revoked (cancelled, usually because payments stopped), that status is also recorded, at which point creditors can resume recovery action.

How the Debt Arrangement Scheme Works

DAS is a Scottish Government scheme that allows people living in Scotland to repay their debts in full over an extended period, via a single monthly payment to an approved payment distributor, without the threat of enforcement action while the programme is running. It is only available in Scotland — there is no equivalent scheme with the same legal protections in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland.

The scheme is designed for people who can afford to repay their debts but need more time and a structured arrangement to do so. It is not a debt write-off tool — unlike a Sequestration (Scottish bankruptcy) or a Minimal Assets Process (MAP), DAS requires full repayment of the debt principal.

Interest and Charges Are Frozen

One of the most significant features of DAS is that once a DPP is approved, all interest, fees, and charges on the included debts are frozen. This means the total amount owed does not grow during the repayment period. According to the Accountant in Bankruptcy, this interest freeze can save some debtors thousands of pounds over the life of their programme compared to making the same payments outside a formal arrangement.

The Single Monthly Payment

Under a DPP, the person in debt makes one payment each month to an approved payment distributor, who then distributes the funds to each creditor according to the agreed schedule. This removes the complexity of managing multiple creditors directly and provides a clear, predictable monthly commitment.

Who Is Eligible for a DPP Under DAS?

To apply for a Debt Payment Programme, a person generally needs to meet the following criteria set out under the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 and subsequent regulations:

• They must be resident in Scotland at the time of application
• They must have more than one debt (a DPP can technically cover a single debt, but it is primarily designed for multiple creditors)
• They must have a reasonable level of disposable income to make regular payments — there is no fixed minimum, but the payment must be sufficient to make meaningful progress toward repaying the debt
• The proposed repayment period must be considered reasonable by the DAS Administrator — programmes running to ten years or more may receive greater scrutiny, though there is no absolute time limit

Certain debts can be excluded from a DPP, including some secured debts (such as mortgages), student loans, and certain court-imposed fines. A money adviser will assess which debts can be included when a programme is being set up.

Applying Through an Approved Money Adviser

Applications for a DPP must be submitted through a DAS-approved money adviser — an individual or organisation formally approved by the Scottish Government to administer DAS applications. This includes local authority debt advice services, Citizens Advice Scotland bureaux, and some private sector advisers. The adviser helps calculate an appropriate monthly payment, contacts creditors, and submits the application to the AiB for formal approval.

Once approved, the DPP is recorded on the DAS Register and the legal protections take effect. Creditors who were included in the DPP are then prohibited from taking diligence against the debtor for any of the included debts.

What Happens If Creditors Object to a DPP?

Creditors are notified when a DPP application is submitted and have a set period to object. However, under DAS regulations, the DAS Administrator has the power to approve a DPP even over creditor objection, provided the proposed repayment is fair and reasonable. This is known as a deemed consent provision — if a creditor does not respond within the required period, they are treated as having consented.

This is a significant protection for the person in debt: it means that a single creditor cannot block an otherwise viable repayment programme simply by refusing to engage. According to the Accountant in Bankruptcy, this provision has made DAS a practical option even where creditors are uncooperative.

Payment Breaks and Variations: Flexibility Within a DPP

Life does not always follow a fixed plan, and DAS includes provisions for dealing with changes in circumstances after a programme has been approved and listed on the DAS Register.

Payment Breaks

If someone experiences a temporary financial difficulty — such as a period of illness, redundancy, or a family emergency — they can apply for a payment break of up to six months. During this period, no payments are required. Interest and charges remain frozen, and creditors cannot take enforcement action. The DPP's total duration is extended to account for the missed payments.

Variations

If a person's financial situation changes more permanently — either improving (allowing faster repayment) or worsening (requiring lower payments) — a formal variation to the DPP can be applied for. The AiB will assess the requested change, notify creditors, and update the DAS Register entry if the variation is approved.

These flexibility provisions are what distinguish DAS from informal repayment arrangements made directly with creditors, which typically have no formal mechanism for adjusting payments or granting breaks without risking the arrangement collapsing.

What Happens at the End of a DPP?

When a person makes their final payment under a DPP, the payment distributor confirms completion to the AiB. The DAS Register entry is updated to show the programme as completed, and a completion certificate is issued. At this point:

• All debts included in the DPP are treated as fully repaid
• Creditors cannot pursue any further action in relation to those debts
• The legal protections provided by the DPP formally end
• The person's credit file will reflect the completed arrangement, which over time will be removed in line with standard credit reference agency timelines (typically six years from the date of the original default)

If a DPP is revoked before completion — most commonly because the debtor stops making payments and a payment break or variation is not applied for — the DAS Register is updated to reflect the revocation, and creditors may resume diligence. In some cases, the person may then need to consider other formal options such as Sequestration or a Protected Trust Deed.

DAS Register vs Other Scottish Debt Registers

The DAS Register is one of several public registers maintained by the Accountant in Bankruptcy relating to personal debt in Scotland. The others include:

• Register of Insolvencies (RoI) — records Sequestrations (Scottish bankruptcy), Protected Trust Deeds, and Minimal Assets Process (MAP) cases
• Debt Advice and Information Package (DAIP) register — records when formal debt advice has been provided as a precondition to certain enforcement actions

The DAS Register is distinct from these because it records an ongoing repayment arrangement rather than an insolvency event. Being on the DAS Register does not carry the same long-term consequences as appearing on the Register of Insolvencies, though both will affect a person's credit profile during the period they remain on record.

For people in Scotland weighing up formal debt options, understanding the difference between DAS (full repayment, interest frozen, no insolvency event) and Sequestration (debts written off, but significant restrictions apply) is an important part of getting the full picture before any decision is made.

Free Debt Advice for People in Scotland

The DAS Register records programmes that have already been set up — getting to that point requires working with an approved money adviser. Free debt advice is available from a number of organisations that can assess whether DAS is appropriate, or whether another route may be more suitable:

• MoneyHelper (moneyhelper.org.uk) — free, impartial money guidance backed by the UK Government
• StepChange Debt Charity — free debt advice and DAS application support for people in Scotland
• Citizens Advice Scotland — local bureaux across Scotland with DAS-approved advisers
• National Debtline — free telephone and online debt advice including Scotland-specific options

These organisations provide advice at no charge. Their services are independent of any debt solution provider and have no commercial interest in the outcome of any advice given.