After a Trust Deed
You've completed your Protected Trust Deed — your debts are settled and you've been discharged. Here's what opens back up now, staged around your own dates, and how to rebuild without a knock-back.
Free to use, no obligation — and a soft search won't affect your credit score.
After a Trust Deed
You've completed your Protected Trust Deed — your debts are settled and you've been discharged. Here's what opens back up now, staged around your own dates, and how to rebuild without a knock-back.
Free to use, no obligation — and a soft search won't affect your credit score.
What changes when your Trust Deed ends
A Protected Trust Deed usually runs around four years. When you're discharged, a few things change:
You're formally discharged — your included debts are settled and written off, and creditors can no longer pursue them.
You'll receive your Form 5, the Letter of Discharge — keep it, as you may need to send it to the credit reference agencies.
Your name comes off the Register of Insolvencies, where Trust Deeds are listed during the arrangement.
The Trust Deed marker stays on your credit file for six years from the date it started — then it drops off completely.
Your comeback, staged around your dates
Your dated plan (example)
- Builder cardnow
- Car financearound 6 months
- Marker drops off6 years from start
- Mortgageas your file recovers
Common myths about life after a Trust Deed
There's a lot of out-of-date advice out there. Here's what's actually true:
Myth: A Trust Deed is the same as sequestration (bankruptcy).
Truth: It isn't. A Protected Trust Deed is a separate, voluntary arrangement — and it's treated as its own thing on your record.
Myth: You have to wait six years before you can get any credit.
Truth: Some builder credit is open as soon as you're discharged. The six years is when the marker drops off, not when you can start.
Myth: Checking whether you'll be accepted damages your score.
Truth: A soft search leaves no mark. Only a full application shows — which is why checking eligibility first matters.
Myth: Your discharge clears your credit file straight away.
Truth: Discharge ends the Trust Deed, but the marker stays until six years from when it started. It's worth checking your file shows you as discharged.
Your next steps after a Trust Deed
Rebuilding credit after a Trust Deed
The foundations that get your file healthy again.
Read guideCredit cards after a Trust Deed
Which builder cards accept a discharged Trust Deed, and when.
Read guideCar finance after a Trust Deed
Getting a car on finance after you're discharged.
Read guideMortgages after a Trust Deed
When you can borrow, and the specialist lenders who say yes.
Read guideLoans after a Trust Deed
Personal loans once your file has started to recover.
Read guideWhen does a Trust Deed leave your credit file?
The six-year rule and what drops off when.
Read guideWill I actually be accepted?
A soft search shows whether you're likely to be accepted and leaves no mark on your file. A full application is a hard search — and a run of declines can set your progress back. So we only point you toward lenders you're likely to fit, which means you see what's realistic before anything touches your file.
Mistakes to avoid after a Trust Deed
A few easy traps to sidestep:
Applying to several lenders at once — space applications out; each hard search adds up.
Applying where you'll likely be declined — check eligibility with a soft search first.
Not keeping your Form 5, the Letter of Discharge — you may need it to prove you've been discharged.
Ignoring your credit file — make sure it shows you as discharged and each debt as settled.
Key facts about completing a Trust Deed
A Protected Trust Deed usually lasts around four years, ending when you're formally discharged.
The Trust Deed marker stays on your credit file for six years from the date it started, then drops off.
You'll get your Form 5, the Letter of Discharge — keep it, as the credit reference agencies may need it to update your file.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. Once you've been discharged, some specialist builder cards are open to you, usually starting with a low limit. The key is applying only where you're likely to be accepted.
Ready when you are
Wherever you are after your Trust Deed, the next step is the same — see what's open to you, staged around your own dates.