Hello Bluerobin.

People take different views on the subject of DAS fees.

There's no harm in speaking to providers of free and paid for options to confirm in your mind which will best meet your needs.

Hi Bluerobin,

I'm a Director and Treasurer of my local CAB and can't speak highly enough of the work that the advisors provide and the service that they carry out.

As you are aware a commercial firm will have a fee associated with the set up and administration of a DAS. If you use CAB/public sector organisation they this will be free.

One difference between using a private v voluntary organisation is timescale in terms of meeting with an advisor. In the private sector this can be 1,2 or three days but in the public sector depending on how busy your local CAB/voluntary organisation is then it can sometimes be longer for an appointment. It really just depends on your area and how busy you local money advisor is.

In addition, a private sector firm will continue to support and deliver a level of service throughout the term of a DAS. In using the voluntary sector the Accountant in Bankruptcy may be the point of contact once a DAS is set up and approved.

Sometimes people are prepared to pay for a service that a private organisation can deliver a little quicker in certain situations and have that one point of contact.

As TDA has said, speak with your local CAB and also a private firm. Check what level of fee the private firm charge and if you feel that this is acceptable. Balance up the pros and cons and then decide which one to use to set your DAS up.

Thanks Chris and TDA for your answers, I'll call my local CAB this week and get some more info. I've also heard of a company called Payplan that do not charge fees however I can't find any reviews from ppl setting up a DAS with them so not sure.

Payplan do debt management plans Bluerobin.

They're a different thing to DAS.

Hi TDA, they definately had a DAS section on their PayplanScotland page but maybe they are offering advice rather than setting them up!

I'm sure you're right Bluerobin. They'll want to be providing information about all options so that people can make informed options.

I'm not aware that they're handling DAS though. If they do (now or in the future) it will be interesting to note whether they do it for free.

Hi Bluerobin,

We do not currently do DAS in house. If you were to call us we would assess your circumstances and present to you the available options. If you were to decide upon a DAS then we would refer you to a trusted provider who will be able to assist you with this.