What Is the DAS Register? Scotland's Debt Scheme

What Is the DAS Register?

If you have searched for the DAS Register, you are likely dealing with debt in Scotland — either your own or someone else's — and you want to understand what this register is, what it shows, and whether appearing on it matters. This page sets out the facts.

The DAS Register is Scotland's official public record of all active and completed Debt Payment Programmes (DPPs) under the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS). It is maintained by Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB), the Scottish Government agency responsible for administering personal insolvency and debt management in Scotland. The register is searchable online and is updated regularly as new DPPs are approved, varied, or completed.

DAS itself is a statutory debt management scheme available only in Scotland. It allows someone with unmanageable debt to repay what they owe at an affordable rate, protected from creditor action, without entering formal insolvency. The DAS Register is where that legal protection is recorded and made publicly visible.

What Information Appears on the DAS Register?

When a Debt Payment Programme is approved under DAS, a record is created on the register. Anyone — including creditors, landlords, employers, or members of the public — can search the register for free at the AiB website.

Details typically held on the register include:

• The full name of the debtor
• The date the DPP was approved
• The current status of the programme (active, completed, revoked, or recalled)
• The total amount of debt included in the programme
• The duration of the repayment plan
• The name of the approved money adviser or payments distributor handling the DPP

The register does not display a person's home address or detailed creditor breakdown in its public-facing view, but the existence of the DPP, the amounts involved, and the debtor's name are visible. This is an important distinction: the register is a public document, which is why some people feel anxious about being listed on it.

How Does a DPP Get onto the DAS Register?

A DPP does not appear on the register automatically — it goes through a formal application and approval process. Understanding how this works helps explain why the register entry exists and what it means legally.

Step 1: Application through an approved money adviser

The person in debt (referred to as the debtor) works with an approved money adviser — someone accredited by AiB to administer DAS applications. Many money advisers work for local councils, Citizens Advice Bureaux, or similar organisations in Scotland. The adviser assesses the person's income, expenditure, and debts, then prepares a proposed DPP.

Step 2: Creditor notification and deemed consent

Once submitted, creditors are notified and have a period to object or approve the proposed DPP. Under the DAS regulations, if a creditor does not respond within the specified period, they are treated as having consented — this is known as deemed consent. Even where creditors holding more than 10% of the debt object, the DPP can still be approved by AiB if it is considered fair and reasonable.

Step 3: Approval and registration

If the DPP is approved, AiB records it on the DAS Register. From this point, the legal protections of DAS apply: creditors cannot add interest or charges to the included debts, and they cannot take enforcement action such as arrestment of wages or bank accounts while the DPP remains active and the debtor keeps to the agreed payments.

How Long Does a DPP Stay on the DAS Register?

The duration of a DPP on the register depends on how the programme progresses. There is no fixed upper limit on how long a DPP can last — unlike some other formal debt solutions, DAS does not impose a statutory time cap, though most programmes are designed to be completed within a reasonable period based on what the debtor can afford.

Once a DPP is completed — meaning all included debts have been repaid in full — the register is updated to show completion status. The entry does not disappear immediately; completed DPPs remain visible on the register for a period after completion, so that creditors and other parties have a record of the programme's outcome.

If a DPP is revoked — which can happen if the debtor fails to keep up with payments and does not arrange a variation — the register is updated to reflect this. A revoked DPP means the legal protections end, and creditors may resume action for the outstanding balance.

Variations to a DPP

If someone's financial circumstances change during their DPP — for example, a drop in income — the programme can be varied rather than revoked. A variation adjusts the monthly payment amount or extends the repayment period. Any approved variation is also recorded on the DAS Register, so the register reflects the most current terms of the programme.

Does Appearing on the DAS Register Affect a Credit File?

This is one of the most common questions people have about the DAS Register, and the answer matters for anyone considering whether to apply for a DPP.

Yes — an active DPP is recorded on a person's credit file by the main UK credit reference agencies (Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion). This means it will be visible to lenders, landlords, and other creditors who carry out credit checks. As a result, accessing new credit during an active DPP is likely to be difficult.

Under standard credit reporting rules in the UK, information about debt arrangements typically remains on a credit file for six years from the date the arrangement started or was recorded, though the specific treatment can vary. Someone considering a DPP should factor this into their decision. Free debt advice from organisations such as StepChange or Citizens Advice in Scotland can help a person understand the full picture before applying.

DAS Register vs. the insolvency registers

It is worth understanding the difference between the DAS Register and Scotland's insolvency registers. DAS is not insolvency — a DPP means a person is repaying their debts in full, not writing them off. The Register of Insolvencies (ROI), also maintained by AiB, covers sequestration (Scottish bankruptcy) and protected trust deeds. These are separate registers with separate entries. Appearing on the DAS Register does not make someone insolvent, and this distinction can be important for employment contracts or tenancy agreements that refer to insolvency.

Who Can Search the DAS Register?

The DAS Register is a public record, meaning it is accessible to anyone — there is no restriction on who can search it. The search facility is hosted on AiB's website and allows searches by name. This openness is by design: creditors need to be able to verify whether a DPP exists before taking enforcement action, and transparency is a core feature of statutory debt schemes.

In practice, the register is most commonly searched by:

• Creditors — to confirm whether a debt is covered by an active DPP before instructing enforcement agents
• Debt collectors and enforcement agents — to check whether enforcement action is legally restricted
• Landlords and letting agents — sometimes as part of referencing checks
• Employers — in industries where financial probity is a contractual requirement
• Approved money advisers — to verify programme status for their clients
• Members of the public — including people checking their own entry

If you are unsure what your own DAS Register entry shows, you can search AiB's register directly at no cost using your full name. If you find the entry contains inaccurate information, the correct route is to contact AiB or your approved money adviser, who can liaise with AiB to correct any errors.

Is DAS Only Available in Scotland?

Yes. The Debt Arrangement Scheme is a Scottish-only statutory scheme, established under the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 and administered under subsequent regulations. There is no equivalent scheme available under the same name or framework in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland.

People in England and Wales dealing with similar situations — unmanageable debt, creditor pressure, and a need for structured repayment — have access to different statutory options, including Debt Management Plans (DMPs), Individual Voluntary Arrangements (IVAs), and Debt Relief Orders (DROs). These are governed by separate legislation and are not recorded on the DAS Register.

For people in England and Wales, a DMP is the closest non-insolvency equivalent to a DPP, but it is not a statutory scheme in the same way — a DMP does not carry the same legal protections around creditor enforcement. An IVA is a formal insolvency process that does carry legal protections but results in partial debt write-off rather than full repayment. These distinctions matter when comparing options across the UK's different jurisdictions.

Practical Steps for Someone Dealing with the DAS Register

If you are considering applying for a DPP

The starting point is speaking to an approved money adviser in Scotland. Approved advisers are listed on AiB's website. Many are available through local councils, Citizens Advice Scotland, and other free advice organisations. Free debt advice is available from MoneyHelper, StepChange, Citizens Advice, and National Debtline — all of these services operate across Scotland and can help someone understand whether DAS is an appropriate route before any application is made.

If you are already on the DAS Register

If you have an active DPP, the most important thing is to maintain your agreed monthly payments. If your circumstances change and you cannot keep up, contact your approved money adviser as soon as possible — a variation can be arranged before the DPP is revoked, preserving the legal protections. Allowing a DPP to be revoked without a variation means creditors regain the right to pursue enforcement action.

If a creditor is contacting you despite an active DPP

An active DPP provides legal protection from creditor action, including letters demanding immediate payment, wage arrestment, and bank account arrestment. If a creditor is contacting you in a way that appears to ignore your DPP, your approved money adviser can intervene and remind the creditor of the legal position. In persistent cases, a formal complaint can be made to AiB.

UK Debt Team is not affiliated with Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB) and this page is not their official website. For official DAS Register searches and approved money adviser lists, visit the AiB website directly at www.aib.gov.uk.