The Department for Work and Pensions' (DWP's) £13bn flagship benefits payment programme is at risk of failure and in need of urgent remedial action, according to the first-ever report of the Government's most important initiatives.

The Major Projects Authority's inaugural annual report, assesses the state of central government's 191 most significant programmes with a cumulative value in excess of £353bn on a 'traffic lights' basis. It classes eight schemes as red and 23 – including the DWP's Universal Credit – as amber-red status.