Citation and commencement1
1
These Regulations may be cited as the Bankruptcy (Money Advice and Deduction from Income etc.) (Scotland) Regulations 2014.
2
They come into force on 1st April 2015.
Interpretation2
In these Regulations—
“the Act” means the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985;
“common financial tool” has the meaning given by section 5D(1) of the 1985 Act3.
Money advisers
Approved categories of money advisers3
Subject to regulation 4, the following classes of persons are prescribed for the purposes of section 5C(2)(b) of the Act as money advisers—
a
persons who—
i
are qualified to act as insolvency practitioners in accordance with section 390 of the Insolvency Act 19864; or
ii
work for such an insolvency practitioner, who have been given authority by that insolvency practitioner to act on his or her behalf in providing money advice under the Act; and
b
persons who—
i
work as money advisers for organisations which have been awarded accreditation at Type 2 level or above against the Scottish National Standards for Information and Advice Provision; or
ii
are approved for the purposes of the Debt Arrangement Scheme5; or
iii
work as money advisers for a citizens advice bureau which is a full member of the Scottish Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux – Citizens Advice Scotland; or
iv
work as money advisers for councils constituted under section 2 of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 19946.
Persons who may not be approved money advisers4
1
The following persons may not be approved money advisers—
a
a sheriff officer or messenger-at-arms, or an employee of such a person;
b
a person or body providing financial services, or financial advice other than money advice, in the course of a business or otherwise for profit, or an employee of such a person, unless the person is a—
i
solicitor;
ii
chartered or certified accountant;
c
a person providing debt collection services, or an employee of such a person;
d
a person convicted of an offence involving theft, fraud or other dishonesty;
e
f
a person in respect of whom a court has made a disqualification order under section 1, or who has had a disqualification undertaking accepted under section 1A, of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 198612;
g
persons without a licence from the Money Advice Trust13 to use the Common Financial Statement style and format for income and expenditure categories under that title (and, where relevant, related spread sheets, budget sheets, trigger figures, guidance materials and notes) published by the Money Advice Trust; or
h
persons whose approval is revoked or suspended under paragraph (2).
2
The Accountant in Bankruptcy may revoke or suspend the approval of a money adviser who fails without good cause—
a
to apply the common financial tool in accordance with the Common Financial Tool etc. (Scotland) Regulations 2014; or
b
to comply with regulation 6.
3
The Accountant in Bankruptcy must provide written notice to a debtor of the revocation or suspension of the approval of a money adviser to the debtor.
Other matters on which a debtor must obtain advice5
The following are prescribed for the purposes of section 5C(1)(d) of the Act as matters on which the debtor must obtain advice from a money adviser—
a
the income and expenditure of the debtor in accordance with the common financial tool;
b
the evidence required to confirm the debts of the debtor in making the debtor application;
c
the Debt Advice and Information Package referred to in section 10(5) of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 200214;
d
the options of a voluntary repayment plan, debt payment programme under the Debt Arrangement Scheme or a trust deed;
e
the consequences of sequestration and that an award of sequestration, if granted, is recorded in a public register and may result in one or more of—
i
the debtor being refused credit, or being offered credit at a higher rate, whether before or after the date of the debtor being discharged;
ii
the debtor not being able to remain in his or her current place of residence;
iii
the debtor being required to relinquish property which the debtor owns;
iv
the debtor requiring to make contributions from income for the benefit of creditors;
v
damage to the debtor’s business interests and employment prospects;
vi
the debtor still being liable for some debts;
vii
the debtor’s past financial transactions being investigated; and
viii
other restrictions or requirements imposed on the debtor as a result of the debtor’s own circumstances and actions.
Money advice on debtor applications: procedure on evidence and information6
1
In advising under section 5C of the Act15 on a debtor application, a money adviser must obtain evidence of the debtor’s income and expenditure.
2
A money adviser must retain records in relation to the advice given to the debtor (including the evidence obtained under paragraph (1)) in making a debtor application, for 2 years from the date on which the advice was given.
3
A money adviser must provide as required by the Accountant in Bankruptcy, information about a debtor’s application (including evidence obtained under paragraph (1) or the debtor’s consent to the application).
Amendment of the Bankruptcy (Certificate for Sequestration) (Scotland) Regulations 20107
1
The Bankruptcy (Certificate for Sequestration) (Scotland) Regulations 201016 are amended as follows.
2
Omit regulation 3 (authorised persons).
3
Omit regulation 4 (further provisions relating to certification).
4
In regulation 5 (form and manner of certificate)—
a
in paragraphs (1) and (2), for “an authorised person” each time it occurs substitute “a money adviser”; and
b
in paragraph (3)—
i
omit “in the case of the authorised person referred to in regulation 3(1)”;
ii
for “authorised person” both times it occurs substitute “money adviser”; and
iii
for “authorised person’s” substitute “money adviser’s”.
5
For the Form set out in the Schedule to those Regulations (form of certificate for sequestration), substitute the Form set out in Schedule 1 to these Regulations.
Deduction from debtor’s earnings and other income
Deduction from debtor’s earnings and other income8
1
This regulation applies where an instruction to make deductions of specified amounts from the debtor’s earnings or other income and payments to the trustee of the amounts so deducted is given by a debtor or trustee under section 32E(2) or (4) of the Act17.
2
Except in the case of a subsequent variation under paragraph (7)—
a
an instruction given by the debtor under section 32E(2) must be in Form 1; and
b
an instruction given by the trustee under section 32E(4) must be in Form 2.
3
On delivery of the instruction and while the instruction is in effect, the—
a
person by whom the debtor is employed; or
b
third person required to pay to the trustee money otherwise due to the debtor by way of income (“third person”),
must deduct the sum specified in the instruction on every pay day or day on which a payment is to be made to the debtor, as the case may be, and pay the sum deducted to the trustee as soon as it is reasonably practicable to do so.
4
Where an employer or third person fails without good cause to make a payment due under an instruction, the employer or third person is—
a
liable to pay on demand by a trustee the amount that should have been paid; and
b
not entitled to recover from a debtor the amount paid to the debtor in breach of the instruction.
5
An employer or third person may on making a payment due under an instruction charge a fee equivalent to the fee chargeable for the time being under section 71 (employer’s fee for operating diligence against earnings) of the Debtors (Scotland) Act 198718 and deduct that fee from the balance due to the debtor.
6
The trustee must, without delay after the end of the payment period for the debtor under section 32B, notify in writing any person who has received an instruction in accordance with paragraph (2) (or varied in accordance with paragraph (7)) that the instruction has been recalled.
7
Following any change to the debtor’s contribution, the debtor or trustee may give a variation instruction under section 32E(2) or (4) of the Act in accordance with that change to the instruction mentioned in paragraph (2) in Form 3 to the employer or third person.
8
In this regulation, references to Forms are to be construed as references to the form so numbered in Schedule 2 to these Regulations or a form substantially to the same effect, with such variation as circumstances may require.
Minor and consequential amendments
Amendment of the 1985 Act: family home not to reinvest (gratuitous alienation)9
For section 39A(3)(g) of the Act19 substitute—
g
the trustee has commenced an action under section 34 of this Act in respect of any right or interest mentioned in subsection (1) above or the trustee has not known about the facts giving rise to a right of action under section 34 of this Act, provided the trustee commences such an action reasonably soon after the trustee becomes aware of such right.
Revocations and debtor applications before 1st April 2015
Revocation10
Debtor applications before 1st April 2015 (low income, low asset debtors)11
The regulations revoked by regulation 10, except for regulation 4 of the 2008 Regulations, continue to apply to debtor applications made before 1st April 2015.