Council tax is a priority debt in Scotland, and councils can act quickly to recover it. The good news is that council tax arrears can be included in a Debt Arrangement Scheme or a Trust Deed — dealt with alongside your other debts through one affordable payment. Here’s an honest look at your options.
The solutions we advise on are debt solutions, not loans; some are forms of insolvency, are recorded on a public register and will affect your credit rating. Your initial advice is free and there’s no obligation; if you go ahead, fees apply and are shown to you in full first. We’re a commercial service — free, independent debt advice is also available from MoneyHelper and the Scottish Government.
Council tax is a ‘priority’ debt because the consequences of ignoring it are serious. In Scotland, a council can obtain a summary warrant and instruct a sheriff officer, leading to an earnings or bank arrestment. So while it can’t simply be ignored, it also shouldn’t be panicked over — there are proper ways to deal with it.
Council tax arrears can be included in a Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS), which brings them together with your other debts into one affordable payment and freezes further interest and fees. They can also be included in a Protected Trust Deed, where qualifying arrears you genuinely can’t afford may be written off at the end (subject to creditor agreement, and not guaranteed).
The most important thing is to act early — the sooner you get advice, the more options remain open. We’ll explain honestly which route fits, and point you to free, impartial help too.
We look at what you can afford and bring your council tax arrears together with your other debts into one manageable monthly payment.
We go through your income, outgoings and debts — including your council tax arrears — to find a realistic monthly payment.
Through a DAS or Trust Deed you make a single payment, shared among your creditors including the council.
Once a DAS is approved or a Trust Deed protected, creditors are bound by it and further recovery action on included debts stops.
Free, confidential advice with no obligation. Find out in minutes how to deal with your council tax arrears.
See if you qualify →For the right person, these solutions offer real relief. Here are some of the main advantages.
Bring your unsecured debts together into a single monthly payment based on what you can realistically afford.
We deal with your creditors directly, so you no longer have to liaise with them yourself.
Once your solution is in place, interest and charges on the debts included are frozen so the balance stops growing.
Dealing with Scottish debt is all we do, so the advice you get is tailored to the solutions available where you live.
This is a serious step and isn’t right for everyone. We’ll fully explain the implications and check any solution is affordable, achievable and suitable — another option, or free impartial advice, may be better for you.
Council tax is a priority debt. It can be included in a DAS (repaid in full) or a Trust Deed (potential write-off of what you can’t afford), but it isn’t automatically written off, and ongoing council tax still has to be paid.
A Trust Deed or DAS affects your credit rating and can make obtaining credit harder for a period. If you’re already behind, your rating is likely affected already.
A Protected Trust Deed is recorded on the public Register of Insolvencies; a DAS on the DAS Register — both searchable.
Where debt can be written off, how much depends on your circumstances and creditor agreement. Nothing is promised.
With priority debts, enforcement can move quickly. The sooner you get advice, the more options you’ll have.
No single solution is right for everyone. We’ll always check whether another route would serve you better first.
If the following sounds like you, it’s worth free advice on your council tax arrears. There are other factors we’ll assess, such as your property status and income.
The sooner you deal with council tax arrears, the more options you’ll have. Get a clear, honest picture of them.
Check if you qualify Free initial advice · No obligation · Fees apply only if you proceed and are shown in full firstYour initial advice is free and there’s no obligation. Trust-Deeds.co.uk is a trading style of My Debt Plan Ltd — a commercial, profit-seeking service, paid for the debt solution you enter into.
If you go ahead with a Protected Trust Deed, your trustee is paid a fixed administration fee plus a further fee based on a percentage of the funds collected during the Trust Deed. These fees are paid from the monthly payments you make, before money is distributed to your creditors — so there is no separate upfront fee. On a Debt Arrangement Scheme, a fee is taken from your monthly payment to cover administering and distributing it to your creditors. Whichever route suits you, all fees are explained and disclosed to you in full before you sign anything.
A DAS repays your council tax and other debts in full with interest frozen; a Trust Deed may write off what you can’t afford. We’ll explain the advantages, disadvantages and risks of each.
A Scottish Government scheme to repay your debts in full through one affordable payment, with interest and charges frozen and your home and car protected as long as you keep up the payments. It will still affect your credit rating.
Learn about DAS →A Scottish alternative to bankruptcy for unsecured debts over £5,000. One affordable monthly payment, typically over around four years, after which qualifying unsecured debt you can’t afford is written off (subject to creditor agreement, not guaranteed). A form of insolvency recorded on a public register.
Learn about Trust Deeds →Find out in minutes how to deal with your council tax arrears in Scotland. It’s free, confidential and there’s no obligation.
Answer a few quick questions about your situation and a debt advisor at My Debt Plan Ltd will be in touch to talk through your options. It’s free, confidential and there’s no obligation.
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0161 464 0870Mon–Fri 9am–5pm · Private & confidential, no obligation
Free, independent debt advice is also available from MoneyHelper, StepChange, National Debtline or Citizens Advice Scotland.
Straight answers to the questions people ask most before choosing a Scottish debt solution.
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