The Money Advice Service has admitted its £2m online healthcheck tool “needs improvement” and has revealed plans for an overhaul.
In March, Money Marketing revealed MAS research showed of 1,000 healthcheck users, 300 did not remember doing it and an additional 371 failed to do anything differently.
MAS is currently the subject of a Treasury sub-committee inquiry. In June, MoneySavingExpert.com founder Martin Lewis branded its tools “crap” and “embarrassing”.
In a letter to Treasury sub-committee chair and Labour MP George Mudie, published today, MAS chairman Gerard Lemos highlights Money Marketing’s coverage and adds: “It is clear that overall the results of research done so far have pointed to the need for us to improve the health check.
“Building on this consumer insight, we will build a ‘mark II’ healthcheck which we expect to be far more impactful.”
A MAS spokesman refuses to disclose how much the redesign will cost, but insists it has already been factored into the 2012/13 budget.
Clayden Associates director Daniel Clayden says: “It is concerning as there was a large amount of money spent so the healthcheck tool should have been thoroughly tested. Hopefully it will learn from its mistakes.”
In the letter, Lemos reminded Mudie that the MAS began withdrawing previous remuneration arrangements for new staff on January 1. Existing staff began transferring to the new arrangements on June 1 but will be compensated for any lost income unless they leave or move position within the organisation. All directors are in the process of moving.
The new arrangements will be based around MAS’ reward strategy, developed in 2011, focusing on delivery of its objectives, the ability to recuit high calibre staff and affordability and value for money. It includes the withdrawal of flexible benefits package and non-contributory pension scheme.
Lemos says management recognised that staff transferred from the FSA were on unsuitable and unsustainable wages for a smaller, “more commercially-orientated” organisation.
This week MAS launched a six-week marketing campaign across television, in print and online with the tagline, “What does Ma think?”.
