Notes for Guidance - Money adviser - Debt Arrangement Scheme

The administration of a DPP will be carried out by the DAS Administrator, the continuing money adviser and the payments distributor.

DAS Administrator

The DAS Administrator will:

• monitor information from the client, money adviser and payments distributor
• in cases where the client does not have a continuing money adviser, send the client an invitation to update their financial circumstances, every twelve months
• propose a variation in certain circumstances 
• propose a revocation 

If the client makes contact about having difficulty making payments they will be referred to a money adviser urgently.

Continuing money adviser

You will:

• undertake a 12 month review of the client’s circumstances to include asking if they have had any material change of circumstances and are still managing to make the regular payments
• prepare and apply for variation or revocation
• submit an application for the review of a determination 
• provide lay representation in court, if suitably trained and if you accept instruction from the client

Information from the payments distributor regarding non-payment, underpayment, and regular overpayment could be factors that might indicate a need to vary the DPP. 

Any significant changes to the client’s circumstances or deviations from the agreed payment plan should lead to consideration of whether a DPP needs to be varied.

Payments distributor

The payments distributor will be notified via eDEN and will arrange the start of the payments from the client. If you have been unable to establish payment details for creditors, they will obtain them.

They are responsible for answering queries regarding payments, all other enquiries, from clients and creditors will be referred to you. 

If the client makes an under payment or overpayment, the creditor will receive an decreased or increased amount on a pro-rata basis. 

If the client fails to make an instalment or underpays, the payments distributor will contact the client and will send a notification through eDEN with details of the missed payment. 

If the client regularly makes lower payments than the agreed instalment amount, eDEN will calculate how much has been underpaid. When the underpayments total the equivalent of an instalment amount or more, eDEN will automatically log a missed payment.

If the client contacts their payments distributor to advise they are having difficulty making payments, they will be referred to you urgently.