The Scottish Government have released figures showing who the top five providers of the Scottish Debt Arrangement Scheme were in 2017/18.
The largest provider by far, was the UK debt charity, Stepchange.
This was followed by four other providers, only two of whom are Scottish-only providers: specialist private debt firm, Carrington Dean and also Citizen Advice Scotland member, Citizen Advice Rights Fife.
In total, there are 16 providers named, 4 of whom are local authorities, 3 Citizen Advice Bureaux and 7 insolvency practitioner firms.
The list only names those providers who did more than 25 Debt Payment Programmes (DPPs) in 2017/18, but notes “other ” money advice providers account for 14.9% of all other DPPs delivered.
Reduction in numbers linked to cut in public funding of money advice services
However, the 2,318 Debt Payments Programmes that were approved in 2017-18, represents a 45% reduction in the number of Debt Payment Programmes that were approved three years earlier in 2014-15.
Local authority funded money advice services over that period also saw a 45% reduction in funding, suggesting the fall in number is linked with cuts in funding for money advice services.
What is the Debt Arrangement Scheme?
The Scottish Debt Arrangement Scheme is a formal debt repayment plan that allows consumers who are struggling with their debts to repay them through an organised plan.
Benefits of the Scheme are it:
- Freezes all interest and charges;
- Those in the Scheme only make one payment per month; and
- Borrowers are protected from all debt recovery action by lenders.
For more information on the Debt Arrangement Scheme, visit my page on it here.
Agency | DPPs | % |
StepChange Debt Charity Scotland | 1,151 | 49.65% |
Pinnacle Debt Solutions | 124 | 5.35% |
Carrington Dean | 104 | 4.49% |
Citizens Advice & Rights Fife | 99 | 4.27% |
KPMG | 95 | 4.10% |
North Lanarkshire Council | 68 | 2.93% |
Campbell Dallas | 56 | 2.42% |
Wilson Andrews | 52 | 2.24% |
Murray Stewart Fraser | 49 | 2.11% |
South Lanarkshire Council | 41 | 1.77% |
Begbies Traynor | 41 | 1.77% |
Inverclyde Council HSCP | 29 | 1.25% |
Hamilton CAB | 28 | 1.21% |
Perth CAB | 26 | 1.12% |
The Moray Council | 26 | 1.12% |
All other money advisers | 329 | 14.19% |
Total | 2,318 | 100.00% |