Similar names that are not this website. Advice Direct Scotland (moneyadvice.scot, 0808 196 2316) is a real, funded Scottish advice service that is still operating. Direct Debt Advice Limited, Debt Support Direct and Debt Advice UK are all separate businesses. None of them ran this site, as far as we can establish.
What we know
A website trading as Debt Advice Direct operated at this address until fairly recently, when the domain name lapsed and was not renewed. Beyond that, the record is thin. We could not establish which company or person ran it. There is no matching entry on the Companies House register that can be tied to this address, no Financial Conduct Authority firm or trading name we could match to it, and no reviews, forum posts or press coverage naming it.
We are telling you that plainly rather than guessing. Several unconnected businesses have used similar names, and naming the wrong one would be worse than saying nothing.
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If you dealt with a firm called Debt Advice Direct
If you gave your details to a website of this name, or believe you have a debt plan arranged through one, here is how to find out where you actually stand. Start with your own paperwork: a bank statement showing where your monthly payment goes, or any letter with a company number or Financial Conduct Authority reference number on it, will identify the real firm faster than anything else.
- Check who is taking your money The name on the direct debit or standing order is the firm that holds your plan. Your bank can tell you who set it up.
- Check the FCA register Search register.fca.org.uk. Firms giving debt advice or running debt management plans in the UK must be authorised, and the register lists trading names as well as company names. If a firm you have paid is not on it, get free advice straight away.
- If you have an IVA Search the Individual Insolvency Register at gov.uk/search-bankruptcy-insolvency-register (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or the Register of Insolvencies at roi.aib.gov.uk for a Scottish trust deed. Both are free.
- If you gave out bank details Tell your bank. Ask them to watch the account, and cancel any payment you did not knowingly set up.
Nobody should ever charge you for debt advice up front. Every service listed below gives it free.
Free debt advice you can trust
These services are free, confidential and independent. None of them charges you a penny, and none of them will sell you a product. If you are worried about money, start here.
The government's own starting point is gov.uk/debt-advice, and MoneyHelper's debt advice locator will find a free adviser near you. If you cannot hear or speak on the phone, dial 18001 before the number to use Relay UK.
Scotland
Scotland has its own debt solutions, including the Debt Arrangement Scheme and protected trust deeds. Free help: Money Talk Team on 0800 028 1456, or Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 196 2316. The Debt Arrangement Scheme is explained at mygov.scot/what-is-das, and the Accountant in Bankruptcy can be reached on 0300 200 2600.
If you need debt help today
The free services listed above are the best place to start, and they cost nothing.
If you would rather read about IVAs and the other options first, visit our sister site.
Please note: ivaadviceonline.com is a commercial website published by the same person as this page. It is not a debt charity, it is not a free advice service, and nothing on it is advice about your own circumstances. An IVA is a formal, legally binding insolvency procedure that is not right for everyone — it affects your credit file for at least six years and can put a jointly owned home at risk. Always take free, impartial advice before entering into any debt solution.
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