A new report from the National Audit Office (NAO) warns that Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) plans to simplify health assessments for disability benefits are at risk of being delayed, costing more than expected and not meeting their intended aims. The report suggests there are risks to the value for money of the Health Transformation Programme which need to be carefully managed.
The programme, launched in 2018 and expected to run until 2029, aims to simplify and make the assessment process more accessible for the 3.9 million working-age people who receive at least one of the principal disability benefits. The DWP has previously acknowledged that it is a ‘large, complex and agile programme’.
The NAO said the department “faces challenges to successfully delivering its approach to transforming the assessment services without further delay, cost overruns or scaling back its ambition”.
