The Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) has faced criticism from the Committee of Public Accounts, regarding the department’s management of its medical assessment contract with outsourcing firm Atos.

The report attacked the Work Capability Assessment service delivered by Atos and citied DWP as the main party responsible for failings.

Appeals made against the Work Capability Assessment have been successful in one third of all cases without the need for requiring new evidence, suggesting a flawed process.

The report by the committee criticised the relaxed nature of the DWP and their “light-touch approach to managing the contract”.

Labour MP and committee chairman, Margaret Hodge, called for a “substantial shake-up” in contract management at the DWP, adding “The department is too often just accepting what Atos tells it. It seems reluctant to challenge the contractor. It has failed to withhold payment for poor performance and rarely checked that it is being correctly charged.”