PLANS to simplify health assessments for disability benefits are at risk of being delayed, costing more than expected and not meeting their intended aims, a report warned yesterday.

The Health Transformation 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 Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) previously acknowledged that it is a “large, complex and agile programme.”