Free debt advice in Scotland
Free, impartial debt advice is open to everyone in Scotland. These services can look at your whole situation, and some can set up DAS or help you apply for bankruptcy.
Free debt advice in Scotland is available from several independent services, including MoneyHelper, Citizens Advice Scotland, Advice Direct Scotland, StepChange and National Debtline. They can look at all your debts and every option open to you, and some can set up a Debt Arrangement Scheme or help you apply for bankruptcy. You do not need to pay anyone for debt advice.
Who offers free debt advice in Scotland?
| Service | Phone | Opening hours | What they offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| MoneyHelper | 0800 011 3797 | Mon to Fri 9am to 5pm | Free, impartial money guidance, and a locator that finds free debt advice near you |
| Citizens Advice Scotland | 0800 028 1456 | Connects you to your local bureau; check opening times with your local office | Free advice from bureaux across Scotland, including face to face |
| Advice Direct Scotland | 0808 196 2316 | Mon to Fri 9am to 5pm | Scotland’s national advice service, by phone and online through moneyadvice.scot |
| StepChange | 0800 138 1111 (Scotland team 0800 652 7491) | Mon to Fri 8am to 8pm, Sat 9am to 2pm | Debt charity with a Scotland team, approved to set up DAS |
| National Debtline | 0808 808 4000 | Mon to Fri 9am to 8pm, Sat 9.30am to 1pm | Phone and online advice, with guides written for Scotland |
| Business Debtline | 0800 197 6026 | Mon to Fri 9am to 8pm | Advice for people who are self-employed or run a small business |
Phone numbers and hours were checked on each organisation’s own website on 10 September 2026. Hours can change, so check the website before you call.
To find free advice near you, including face-to-face services, use MoneyHelper’s debt advice locator. Many local councils in Scotland also run free money advice services, and mygov.scot lists them.
What can a free adviser do for you?
A free money adviser does not charge you for their help. They can:
- go through all your debts, income and spending with you and work out a realistic budget
- help you deal with priority debts first, such as council tax, rent, mortgage and energy arrears
- contact creditors for you, or help you write to them
- explain what to do if sheriff officers (the court officers who enforce debts in Scotland) have been in touch
- help you apply for a moratorium, which gives six months of protection from most debt enforcement
- explain every debt solution, including trust deeds, and what each would mean for you
Where a formal solution is involved, the adviser uses the Common Financial Tool, the standard way of working out what you can afford to pay in Scotland.
DAS applications must go through an approved money adviser
You can only apply for the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) through a DAS approved money adviser. Money advisers cannot charge you for setting up a debt payment programme. Not every adviser holds DAS approval, so ask when you get in touch. StepChange, for example, is an approved organisation for Scottish debt solutions. Read more in our guide to the Debt Arrangement Scheme.
Sequestration needs money advice first
Sequestration is the legal name for bankruptcy in Scotland. You must get advice from a money adviser before you can apply, and you cannot apply on your own: an approved money adviser sends the application to the Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB), the part of the Scottish Government that deals with insolvency. Citizens Advice bureaux, money advice centres, National Debtline and StepChange can all help. You can use an insolvency practitioner instead, but they may charge you. See our guide to sequestration.
How are free services different from this website?
We want to be straightforward about this, because it matters.
- We are not a debt charity and we are not a free advice service. We publish information, and we do not give debt advice.
- We may be paid. If you ask us to, we pass your details to a licensed insolvency practitioner firm, who will contact you. If we introduce you to an insolvency practitioner or a debt advice firm, they may pay us a fee. This does not change what you pay.
- Trust deeds have fees. They are taken from your payments and assets before your creditors are paid. Free services do not charge you anything for their advice.
- Free services can deal with DAS and bankruptcy directly. A DAS approved adviser can set up a debt payment programme, and free services can help with a bankruptcy application. An insolvency practitioner can act as the trustee in a trust deed, and must explain every option to you, not just a trust deed.
You are free to speak to a free service first, instead of us, or as well as us. A second view before you sign anything is always sensible. How our service works sets out who we pass details to and how we are paid.
Check who you are dealing with. Firms that give debt advice must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA). You can check any firm on the FCA’s Financial Services Register, which shows what it has permission to do.
When should you get advice quickly?
Get in touch with a free service as soon as you can if:
- you have received a charge for payment, a formal demand to pay within a set time before enforcement can start
- your wages or bank account have been arrested
- you are behind with rent, mortgage or council tax
- you are thinking about signing a trust deed or any other formal agreement
If your mental health is making it hard to deal with money, there is extra support. Our page on getting help if you are struggling lists services that can help alongside a money adviser.
What should you have ready?
You do not need everything before you call, but these make the first conversation easier:
- a list of who you owe and roughly how much
- any recent letters from creditors, sheriff officers or the court
- payslips, benefit letters or other proof of income
- your main bills, such as rent or mortgage, council tax and energy
- recent bank statements
If you cannot find all of this, call anyway. An adviser can help you gather it.
If you would also like to hear from an insolvency practitioner firm, tell us a little about your situation and a licensed insolvency practitioner firm will call you to go through every option, including ones that are not a trust deed.
May not be suitable in all circumstances. Fees apply. Your credit rating may be affected. Free, impartial advice is available from MoneyHelper and other services.
Official sources
Common questions
Is debt advice really free in Scotland?
Yes. Services such as MoneyHelper, Citizens Advice Scotland, Advice Direct Scotland, StepChange and National Debtline do not charge you for advice. Money advisers also cannot charge you for setting up a debt payment programme under the Debt Arrangement Scheme. Some formal solutions have their own costs, such as trust deed fees or a bankruptcy application fee, and an adviser will explain these.
Can I apply for DAS or bankruptcy without an adviser?
Not on your own. A DAS application has to be made through a DAS approved money adviser. For bankruptcy, you must get advice from a money adviser first, and the application is sent to the Accountant in Bankruptcy through an approved adviser. Free services can do both. You can apply for a moratorium yourself, although advice first is sensible.
How do I know a debt adviser is genuine?
Firms that give debt advice must be authorised by the Financial Conduct Authority. You can check a firm on the FCA's Financial Services Register, which also shows what it has permission to do. If a firm will not tell you who it is, how it is paid, or pushes you towards one solution quickly, ask more questions or speak to a free service instead.
What is the difference between a free adviser and a trust deed firm?
A free adviser does not charge you and can set up DAS or help with a bankruptcy application directly. An insolvency practitioner firm can act as trustee in a trust deed, which has fees taken from your payments. Insolvency practitioners must explain all your options, not just a trust deed, but it is your choice who you speak to, and you can speak to both.
Related guides
- The Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) Repay your debts in full through one payment, with interest and charges frozen.
- Sequestration (bankruptcy in Scotland) How bankruptcy works in Scotland, who can apply, what it costs and what it means for you.
- The Scottish moratorium on diligence Six months of legal protection from most debt enforcement while you get advice.