Apply for a moratorium

A moratorium grants temporary protection from people you owe money to (creditors). It lasts for 6 months and means creditors are not allowed to take any action to recover what you owe them during that time.

During a moratorium people you owe money to will not be able to:

• arrest your bank account
• freeze your wages
• apply to make you bankrupt

A moratorium is not a debt solution. It does not write off debt or stop interest or charges being added to any money you owe.

Applying for a moratorium can give you more time if you're thinking about applying for:

• bankruptcy
• a trust deed
• a debt arrangement scheme

Who can apply

You can apply for a moratorium if you:

• live in Scotland
• have unsecured debts
• have not applied for a moratorium in the last 12 months
• have not already entered bankruptcy
• are not already in a Trust Deed or a Debt Arrangement Scheme

How to apply for a moratorium

Find a money adviser

It's important to speak to a money adviser who will check if a moratorium is right for you. You can get free advice from an approved money adviser.

Fill in the application form

Use the debtor moratorium form the on the Register of Insolvencies website to apply. The application form will ask you to provide personal information about your debts.

You can apply by yourself or a money adviser can apply for you.

What happens next

Once you have submitted your application, the Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB) will review it and make a decision.

If your application is accepted

If accepted, the AiB will register the moratorium on the Register of Insolvencies (RoI). The RoI is a public record, meaning that details of the moratorium will be publicly available.

The AiB will not send a letter or email to let you know you have been accepted. To check your application you can search the Register using your name and post code.

If your application is not accepted

If your application is not accepted, the AiB will send you a letter or an email letting you know the reason.