The basicsWhat is a Minimal Asset Process?
MAP (Minimal Asset Process) is a simplified route into bankruptcy — sequestration, in Scottish terms — for people with no spare income and almost nothing of value to sell. It sits in the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 2016 and is run by the Accountant in Bankruptcy (AiB), a Scottish Government agency that acts as trustee in every MAP case, so no private insolvency practitioner is involved.
It is the most common form of bankruptcy in Scotland: the AiB awarded 482 MAP bankruptcies out of 849 between April and June 2026. Short as it is, it is still bankruptcy, with the same lasting mark on your credit file.
MAP applies in Scotland only. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the nearest equivalent is the Debt Relief Order (DRO) — a separate procedure with different limits.
BenefitsWhy people consider MAP
For someone on benefits or a very low income, with no property and no way of clearing what they owe, MAP is the shortest statutory route — but it is not painless and does not suit everyone.
Advantages of MAP
- No application fee — removed on 6 February 2023, so the fee is £0.
- Nothing to pay creditors — the debtor contribution order is set at zero, so no instalments are collected.
- Short timescale — discharge follows six months after the award, the quickest route in Scotland.
- No minimum debt — the old £1,500 lower limit went in February 2023.
What to keep in mind
- Homeowners are excluded — if you own land or property, MAP is not open to you at all.
- It is a public record — your details sit on the searchable Register of Insolvencies for 18 months from the date of bankruptcy.
- Your credit file — the bankruptcy stays on it at least six years, counted from the award, not discharge, so credit, cards, renting and some insurance stay harder or dearer throughout.
- Restrictions continue after discharge — for six more months you must disclose your bankruptcy before borrowing over £2,000, and limits apply to running a business; breaching that is a criminal offence.
EligibilityWho qualifies for MAP?
All the conditions must be met on the day you apply. The AiB decides — no adviser can promise an award in advance.
- You live in Scotland, have lived there in the past year, or have a place of business there.
- Your income meets one of two tests: a Common Financial Tool assessment shows no contribution is payable, or you have received prescribed benefits for at least six months up to the application date.
- Your debts, including interest, total no more than £25,000, with no minimum. Student loans under section 73B of the Education (Scotland) Act 1980 do not count.
- Everything you own is worth no more than £2,000 in total and no single item more than £1,000, although a vehicle worth up to £3,000 is left out if you reasonably need one.
- You do not own land or property, and you hold a certificate for sequestration obtained within the prescribed period.
- You have had no MAP in the last 10 years and no other bankruptcy in the last five.
- The application is lodged by an approved money adviser or an insolvency practitioner — you cannot apply on your own.
CostsWhat does MAP cost?
The application fee is £0 and there are no contributions to creditors while the bankruptcy runs. One cost to know about: if the information given proves inaccurate or your circumstances change, the case can be transferred to full administration, and the AiB charges an additional administration fee before discharge — on the full 12-month terms below, with contributions and a trustee who can sell what you own.
Full administration, by contrast, costs £150 to apply for (waived on certain benefits or with no surplus income), needs at least £3,000 of debt and runs 12 months, with contributions for up to four years.
Before you commit to anything with us, we set out in writing what our service covers and what it costs.
ImpactWhat MAP means in practice
Your record and credit file. The Register of Insolvencies entry stays for 18 months from the date of bankruptcy. The bankruptcy also stays on your credit file for at least six years; some agencies (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) remove it automatically after that, and if that does not happen you have to ask them to.
Banking and work. Your bank may freeze or close your account, so many open a basic bank account; wages and benefits can normally still be paid in. Some employers, mainly financial services firms, do not employ undischarged bankrupts — check your contract.
Debts that survive. The AiB lists court fines, penalties, compensation and forfeiture orders; debts from fraud, including benefit overpayments; aliment; certain student loans; and secured debts such as a mortgage. Anything you take on after the date of bankruptcy — rent, utilities, council tax — is still yours to pay.
Next stepsHow to apply, and how we help
Only an approved adviser can lodge the application, so the first step is a full financial assessment with you. We then set the options side by side — MAP, full administration, a Protected Trust Deed, a Debt Arrangement Scheme programme, a moratorium or no action for now — with the drawbacks, costs and risks of each, and a referral to a not-for-profit service where that suits you better.
If enforcement action is the immediate worry, a moratorium on diligence gives six months of protection, once in any 12-month period, though it does not stop interest building up. The AiB usually decides within about eight working days if it has everything it needs, and that decision is its alone. Open Finance Debt Solutions Ltd is authorised and regulated by the FCA, FRN 826131.
