The Minimal Asset Process (MAP)
MAP is a simpler route into bankruptcy in Scotland for people with low income and few assets. There is no fee, but it is still bankruptcy, with the effects that brings.
The Minimal Asset Process (MAP) is a simpler route into bankruptcy in Scotland for people with low income, few assets and debts of £25,000 or less. There is no fee, and you are usually discharged from bankruptcy after 6 months. It is still a form of sequestration (bankruptcy), so it affects your credit file and your details go on a public register.
Who can use MAP?
You must meet all of these conditions.
Your debts
- Your total debts, including interest, must be no more than £25,000. Student loans are not counted towards this limit.
- There is no minimum. The old £1,500 minimum was removed on 6 February 2023.
Your assets
- You must not own land or property, including a share in a house.
- Your assets must be worth no more than £2,000 in total.
- No single asset can be worth more than £1,000.
- A vehicle worth up to £3,000 is ignored if you reasonably need it.
Your income
One of these must apply:
- the Common Financial Tool (the standard way of working out what you can afford in Scotland) shows you have nothing left to pay towards your debts, or
- you have received certain benefits for at least 6 months.
Your history
- You must not have used MAP in the last 10 years.
- You must not have been made bankrupt any other way in the last 5 years.
- You must live in Scotland, or have lived here within the last year.
How do you apply?
You cannot apply on your own. You must get advice from an approved money adviser, who sends the application to the Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB), the part of the Scottish Government that deals with insolvency. There has been no fee for MAP since 6 February 2023.
Free services such as Citizens Advice bureaux, money advice centres, National Debtline and StepChange can help you apply. See our page on free debt advice in Scotland for their numbers and hours.
In MAP, your trustee (the person who manages your bankruptcy) is always AiB. You must co-operate with the trustee: give them any information they ask for, and tell them straight away if your circumstances change. If you do not, your bankruptcy can last longer.
What to have ready
Your adviser will need a clear picture of your finances to check whether MAP fits. It helps to gather:
- a list of everyone you owe and roughly how much, including any debts in joint names
- recent letters from creditors or sheriff officers
- proof of income, such as payslips or benefit award letters
- details of anything valuable you own, including a car and its rough value
- recent bank statements
Tell your adviser if your income is likely to go up soon, or if you expect to receive money, for example from an inheritance. These could affect whether MAP is the right route.
What happens during and after MAP?
- Discharge after 6 months. You are usually discharged from bankruptcy 6 months after it starts, and most of your debts are written off.
- Some restrictions last longer. Certain bankruptcy restrictions continue for a further 6 months after discharge.
- Public register. Your details stay on the Register of Insolvencies for 18 months from the date of bankruptcy.
- Credit file. Bankruptcy, including MAP, can stay on your credit file for at least 6 years.
Debts that are not written off
Some debts survive bankruptcy, including MAP. These include fines, criminal compensation orders, debts from fraud or breach of trust, aliment (maintenance) and student loans. Ongoing bills, such as your current rent and council tax, carry on as normal.
Restrictions while you are bankrupt
While you are bankrupt, you cannot be a company director, and you must tell a lender you are bankrupt before borrowing £2,000 or more. Your bank may also change or close your account. Our guide to sequestration covers these effects in more detail.
Want to talk your options through? 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.
Are the MAP rules changing?
These are proposals, not the law. Nothing in this section is in force as at 10 September 2026. The current rules are the ones set out above.
The MacDermid Review (the Stage Three review of Scotland’s debt solutions) published its final report on 12 March 2026. Its recommendations include:
- raising the MAP debt limit from £25,000 to £50,000 (recommendation 7)
- setting the time limit for a second MAP application at 6 years, instead of the current 10 (recommendation 7)
- raising the vehicle limit to £5,000 as a stop gap (recommendation 14)
AiB said a formal response would follow the Scottish Parliament election, and its 2026 to 2027 business plan commits to changes to improve access to MAP. No regulations to change the limits had been made when this page was checked. If you are close to the current limits, ask a money adviser what applies on the day you apply.
Scotland is different. MAP is sometimes compared to a debt relief order, but debt relief orders are not available in Scotland. MAP is a form of bankruptcy under Scots law, with its own rules. Read more about debt relief orders and Scotland.
What if you do not qualify for MAP?
If your debts are over £25,000, you own property, or you have some money left over each month, other options may fit. An adviser needs to look at your whole situation.
- Full administration sequestration is the other route into bankruptcy, for people who owe at least £3,000. It has a £150 fee, which some people do not have to pay.
- The Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) lets you repay debts in full with interest and charges frozen.
- A protected trust deed can write off the remaining debts included in it if it completes, but it has fees and risks, and your name goes on the Register of Insolvencies.
- A moratorium gives six months of protection from most enforcement while you get advice.
If you are wondering whether any of your debt can be written off, our guide on writing off debt in Scotland explains honestly what is and is not possible.
Official sources
Common questions
Is there a fee for the Minimal Asset Process?
No. The MAP fee was removed on 6 February 2023, so it now costs nothing to apply. You still need to get advice from a money adviser before applying, and free services such as Citizens Advice bureaux, StepChange and National Debtline can help you with the application at no charge.
Can I keep my car in MAP?
A vehicle worth up to £3,000 is ignored when your assets are counted, as long as you reasonably need it, for example to get to work or because you have a disabled child. A car worth more than that would count towards the asset limits and could stop you qualifying for MAP.
Has the MAP debt limit gone up to £50,000?
Not yet. The MacDermid Review, published in March 2026, recommended raising the MAP debt limit to £50,000. That is a proposal only. As at 10 September 2026 no regulations had been made to change it, so the limit is still £25,000. Check with a money adviser for the current position.
Can I use MAP if I rent my home?
Yes. Renting does not stop you using MAP. What rules you out is owning land or property, including a share in a house. You should check your tenancy agreement for anything about bankruptcy, and keep paying your ongoing rent, which is not written off.
Related guides
- Sequestration (bankruptcy in Scotland) How bankruptcy works in Scotland, who can apply, what it costs and what it means for you.
- Can you write off debt in Scotland? Which Scottish solutions can end with debts written off, which repay in full, and what never goes.
- Free debt advice in Scotland Free, impartial debt advice services in Scotland, with phone numbers and opening hours.