The most ironic thing likely to happen in today’s Budget? The Money Advice Service could be scrapped because it doesn’t provide value for money
We've been told today's Budget is going to be aimed at the young – but we didn't realise it would be so… steeped in irony.
But it's emerged the chancellor is set to make an announcement so, like, totally ironic, it could have come straight out of the playbook of the most tattooed of Shoreditch's natives. Yep: according to reports, George Osborne will scrap the Money Advice Service – because it doesn't provide value for money.
The Financial Times reported today the service (MAS to its friends), is likely to be replaced by a smaller body which will focus on providing services to those in financial difficulty.
The service was set up in 2010 as an independent body with a responsibility for improving people's money management.
But in 2013 the service was criticised by MPs, who said it was "effectively duplicating" services such as Citizens Advice and Moneysavingexpert.
This time last year a review commissioned by the Treasury concluded MAS must cut its budget, which at the time was £81m, to somewhere between £20m and £25m, cutting its staff from 130 to 50-70.
The review said there was a "degree of frustration about MAS' willingness to listen and the ability of stakeholder to influence both the direction of travel and priority areas of work".
Whatever, dude. That's sooo typical of The Man…[custom id="135"]