Trust Deed Scotland

Trust Deed Scotland: formal solutions for unsecured debt in Scotland

Trust Deed Scotland® presents itself as Scotland's leading provider of debt solutions and focuses its activity on Protected Trust Deeds and the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS). The entity, which operates under the company Harper McDermott Ltd, states it has helped over 30,000 people since 2009 and declares it has its own in-house team that handles the debt solution without passing client data to third parties. The company describes itself as employee-owned.

Protected Trust Deeds and Debt Arrangement Scheme

The main service consists of replacing existing payments on unsecured debts — credit cards, personal loans, overdrafts, store cards, catalogues, payday loans, unsecured car finance, council tax arrears and HMRC bills for self-employed people, among others — with a single monthly payment adjusted to the client's ability to pay and with a fixed duration. During the plan, interest and charges are frozen and creditors cannot claim payment directly from the debtor. When the agreement is completed, the debts included are written off.

The firm also explains the differences between the two main routes. A Protected Trust Deed typically lasts four years and requires a minimum of £5,000 of unsecured debt; on completion, any remaining qualifying debt is written off. The Debt Arrangement Scheme, by contrast, has no fixed term or minimum amount and continues until the debts included have been repaid, without involving assets. The company also provides information on other formal alternatives in Scotland, such as the Minimal Asset Process (MAP) and sequestration (Scottish bankruptcy).

Activity data and protection rates

According to figures published by the entity itself, between 1 January and 31 December 2025, 4,568 Protected Trust Deeds, 2,848 sequestrations and 5,431 payment programmes approved under the Debt Arrangement Scheme were recorded in Scotland, totalling 12,847 formal solutions. In that same period, Trust Deed Scotland (Harper McDermott Ltd) recorded 1,393 Trust Deeds with protection status, 1,868 approved payment programmes and no sequestrations, giving 3,261 approved formal solutions and, according to its presentation, positioning it as the leading provider of the period. The company states that in 2023 it achieved a protection rate of 98.6% and that it is rare for a Trust Deed handled with it not to obtain protection.

Regarding debt write-off, the company details that the expected percentage of up to 70% is based on 1,671 Protected Trust Deeds it was administering that obtained protection between 1 January and 31 December 2023, including administration costs. In that sample, the expected percentage reaches up to 84% and 226 cases (13.5%) fall between 70% and 84%, with an expected average of 51%. The firm warns that the decision to apply for a Protected Trust Deed should not be taken solely on the basis of the proposed write-off amount.

Diagnostic tools and customer service

The entity makes available to users a form and the Trust Deed Wizard® tool to assess their situation via encrypted text chat. The consultation process collects the approximate debt level, the user's main concern, the type of debt they find hardest to cope with and the most valued benefit of a debt solution. Support is offered by phone, WhatsApp or online, and the company assures that the service is confidential and that it does not sell client data. The first consultation is free and no set-up fees apply.

Reviews and recognition

Trust Deed Scotland states that 98% of its clients rated it 5 out of 5 on Trustpilot, with over 13,000 reviews, and that it has accumulated more five-star reviews than all other Trust Deed providers combined. It presents itself as the number one Scottish company in Trustpilot's debt relief category. The company warns that its solutions may not be suitable in all circumstances, that they involve fees and that they may affect credit rating, and notes that free debt advice is available through MoneyHelper.

Location and contact

Phone: 0141 221 0999 · Email: enquiries@trustdeedscotland.net · Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday: 09:00-20:00; Friday: 09:00-17:00