What Harper McDermott does

Harper McDermott Ltd is a Glasgow-based, FCA-regulated personal insolvency and debt solutions firm operating in Scotland under the Harper McDermott and Trust Deed Scotland® brands. Founded in 2016 (with roots in Trust Deed Scotland® from 2009) and transferred to employee ownership via an Employee Ownership Trust in February 2023, the firm employs ~70 staff and is led by Managing Director and licensed Insolvency Practitioner Thomas Fox. The company administers four core statutory Scottish debt solutions — Protected Trust Deeds, the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS), the Minimal Asset Process (MAP), and full Administration Sequestration — serving individuals in Scotland with unaffordable unsecured debts (credit cards, payday loans, overdrafts, personal loans, council tax arrears, catalogues, store cards). It reports over 30,000 people helped since 2009, 9,000+ active customers, £250m+ of debts under management, a 98.6% Trust Deed protection rate (No.1 in Scotland), a 99.8% DAS DPP approval rate, and 13,000+ five-star Trustpilot reviews.

The business operates as a professional and managed-services firm rather than a technology company. Revenue is generated through two principal streams: (1) Protected Trust Deed administration — Trustee's fixed fees of £1,000–£2,500 plus a 10–20% realisation fee on funds received, with an example case yielding total Trustee fees of £4,477.60; and (2) Debt Arrangement Scheme administration — no fees charged to the individual debtor, with the firm earning 22p per £1 received into the scheme (split 20p to the Money Adviser and 2p to the DAS Administrator), creating multi-year recurring revenue from creditor-side payments. MAP applications are free to eligible applicants, while full Administration Sequestration carries a £150 AiB application fee (waivable in certain circumstances). Customer engagement terms are long-dated (48 months minimum for PTDs, up to 77 months for DAS DPPs), producing a multi-year locked-in revenue book.

The go-to-market is primarily direct-to-consumer inside sales via a Glasgow-headquartered contact centre (0141 278 3989), supplemented by online enquiry forms, WhatsApp, an SEO-optimised debt calculator qualification tool, content marketing through the Info Hub blog and Blethered podcast, community engagement (Talk Money Week), and Trustpilot-driven social proof. Distribution is wholly domestic (Scotland only), with referrals to the government-backed Money Helper service for free initial debt counselling before any paid solution is committed. The company has no subsidiaries, no disclosed funding rounds, and no M&A activity, operating as an independent, employee-owned regulated firm.

Name

Harper McDermott

Legal name

Harper McDermott Ltd

Website

https://harpermcdermott.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Harper McDermott is a Glasgow-based, FCA-regulated personal insolvency firm serving Scottish residents with unaffordable unsecured debt via Protected Trust Deeds, the Debt Arrangement Scheme, MAP, and Sequestration, operating employee-owned since 2023.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Personal Debt Solutions & Insolvency Services

NAICS

Credit Intermediation and Related Activities (522)

SIC

Personal Credit Institutions (6141)

akta.pro primary industry

Credit Counseling & Debt Management Plans (DMP) (FSAKAJAH)

Keywords

• Debt management services
• Scottish insolvency solutions
• Protected trust deeds
• Debt arrangement scheme
• Personal insolvency administration

Headquarters

HQ city

Glasgow

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Protected Trust Deed Administration: Revenue is generated through Trustee fees charged to customers in Protected Trust Deeds. The Trustee's fixed fee ranges from £1,000 to £2,500 depending on the work involved, and a realisation fee of 10-20% of funds received. These fees are taken from income contributions made by customers and/or from sums realised from assets. The company also charges expenses including AiB fees, insurance, Registers of Scotland fees, and software licence fees.
2. Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) Administration: Under DAS, there are no setup fees or ongoing monthly management fees payable by individuals. The costs of administering the scheme are borne by creditors - from every £1 received into the scheme, 22p is used to pay these costs (2p to DAS Administrator and 20p to Money Adviser). This creates a recurring revenue stream from creditor payments based on successful debt repayments processed.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Harper McDermott is a regulated insolvency firm providing formal Scottish debt solutions to individuals unable to pay their unsecured debts as they fall due. Its core offerings are Protected Trust Deeds (binding 48-month arrangements that write off unaffordable debt), the Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) Debt Payment Programmes (interest and charges frozen, debts repaid in full), the Minimal Asset Process (MAP) route into sequestration, and Full Administration Sequestration. Services cover credit cards, payday loans, overdrafts, store cards, personal loans, council tax arrears, catalogues, and unsecured car finance.

Product overview

Harper McDermott is a debt solutions provider offering four core formal insolvency products in Scotland: Protected Trust Deeds, Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS), Minimal Asset Process (MAP) route to Sequestration, and Full Administration Sequestration. These products are offered under the Harper McDermott brand and the Trust Deed Scotland sub-brand. The company also provides complementary services including an online payment portal and debt calculator. The Protected Trust Deed and DAS are the two most popular debt solutions offered, with Trust Deeds allowing debt write-off and DAS enabling full debt repayment with frozen interest and charges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Protected Trust Deeds A formal insolvency procedure available in Scotland where an individual enters a legally binding arrangement with a licensed Insolvency Practitioner acting as Trustee. The debtor makes one affordable monthly payment from income for a minimum of 48 months, with creditors writing off remaining debt at the end of the period. Trustee's fixed fee is £1,000–£2,500 plus a 10–20% realisation fee on funds received.
• Debt Arrangement Scheme (DAS) A statutory debt management plan introduced by the Scottish Government in 2004, administered via Debt Payment Programmes (DPPs). Allows individuals to pay off debts in full through a single monthly payment with all interest, fees and charges frozen. No setup fees or ongoing monthly management fees are charged to individuals — costs (22p per £1 received) are borne by creditors, with 15% going to the Money Adviser.
• Minimal Asset Process (MAP) Sequestration A route into bankruptcy for Scottish individuals with few assets and no disposable income. Allows writing off up to 100% of unsecured debts. Free to apply for those in receipt of prescribed social security benefits or assessed as having no surplus income.
• Full Administration Sequestration The Scottish equivalent of bankruptcy, allowing for up to 100% of debts to be written off. A Trustee takes control of assets and collects contributions from income for a 4-year period. £150 application fee payable to the Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB), waivable for those on certain benefits or with no surplus income.
• Trust Deed Scotland® (Brand Service Line) The established consumer-facing brand under the Harper McDermott group, providing the firm's debt help services in Scotland since 2009. A household name for Scottish debt help with over 13,000 five-star Trustpilot reviews. Operates via dedicated website trustdeedscotland.net.

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Money HelpercoreOthersHarper McDermott directs customers to Money Helper for free debt counselling, debt adjusting and providing of credit information services. Money Helper is a government-backed service that provides free, confidential advice. This partnership ensures customers have access to free initial guidance before committing to paid debt solutions.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Citizens Advice Scotland: Scotland-focused free debt advice provider operating across multiple bureaux. Targets the same Scottish residents with unaffordable debt and is a primary free-advice alternative that sits in the customer journey before formal Trust Deeds or DAS.
• StepChange Debt Charity: UK's largest debt advice charity providing free Debt Management Plans and IVAs. Direct competitor for inbound consumer debt enquiries across the UK, including Scotland, and the dominant free-advice alternative referenced by Harper McDermott's own referral chain to Money Helper.

Peers

• PayPlan (StepChange Group):

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInuk.linkedin.com/company/harper-mcdermott-ltd

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Harper McDermott