Setting up a debt payment programme (through DAS)

DAS lets you set up a debt payment programme (DPP) to repay your debt. 

A money adviser contacts your creditors to agree the terms of your DPP like:

• how much you’ll pay
• how often you’ll pay – for example, once a week or once a month
• how long the DPP will last
• if you’ll increase your payment in the future – for example, when you’ve finished repaying a loan

You need to keep to these terms during your DPP.

You can apply to change your DPP if you've a change of circumstances.

Other DPP conditions

You also need to meet other conditions, like:

• paying other bills on time – like rent or mortgage payments
• getting approval to apply for credit over £2,000
• telling your money adviser about a change of circumstances within 1 week

This is not a full list of conditions. You should get a full list of your DAS conditions with any confirmation letter. 

How much you’ll pay

Your money adviser works out how much your payments should be. This is based on what you can afford from your ‘disposable income’.

Disposable income is the money you have left after paying for essential living costs, like:

• food
• utility bills
• rent or mortgage
• council tax
• childcare

You do not have to use savings, sell your home or your car.

You can apply to change the payment amount if you've a change of circumstances.

How you make payments

You make payments to a ‘payments distributor’. The payments distributor may be the money adviser you apply through. If it's not, the money adviser will discuss this with you. 

The payments distributor sends the money to your creditors.

You choose how to send the money to the payments distributor, such as:

• a direct debit or standing order from your bank account
• your employer paying directly from your wages

You cannot send money to creditors directly. Creditors cannot ask you to pay money directly to them.