Research report which details the effect of changes to the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) on bureau clients.
The Debt Arrangement Scheme is a positive debt option for debtors who are willing and are able to repay their debts given the chance to do so. The scheme offers a way to avoid the stigma and problems of bankruptcy for the debtor.
However, the low take-up of the scheme suggests that it has not been a success, and that other debt options are continuing to be more likely choices for those in debt. Debtors who are willing to repay their loans are still often without access to the scheme, while those with access are choosing other debt options.
This research has found a number of key findings, which show the numbers of clients with and without access to DAS, why clients do not have access, the profile of these clients, and ways in which to make the scheme more accessible and advantageous for clients: