Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps he is taking to improve access to free debt advice for people in Scotland.

The Government is committed to ensuring that people in financial difficulty can access free, impartial debt advice. It provides funding for debt advice across the UK, with devolved governments leading delivery in their nations to reflect local needs.

Through the Financial Inclusion Strategy, published in November 2025, the Government increased funding for free debt advice across all four nations. In Scotland, over £10 million was allocated for debt advice in 2025-26. The Scottish Government distributes this funding to a range of national and community-based providers. Further information on its allocations is available on the Scottish Government’s website.

The Government is also providing additional support for people struggling with energy debt. The Consumer Energy Debt Advice service is now operating in England and Wales and is funded through the energy advice levy. As the levy applies across Great Britain, a proportion of the funding has been allocated to Scotland and provided to Citizens Advice Scotland, StepChange and Advice Direct Scotland to increase capacity for energy debt advice through their existing services.