Hundreds of thousands of people have been affected by a benefits backlog, the government has said.
Minister for Disabled People Mike Penning told a committee of MPs that more than 700,000 people were waiting for assessments.
He said the assessments were for employment and support allowance (ESA).
Prime Minister David Cameron told MPs that benefits changes should be carried out "in a way that works well" rather than to an "artificial deadline".
Mr Penning blamed the delays on failings with Atos, the contractor responsible for carrying out the controversial fit-for-work tests.
'Vilified'An official from the Department for Work and Pensions told MPs the firm "couldn't deliver the quality at the capacity we want".
Critics have said delays and wrong decisions had caused distress to vulnerable people.
Atos has said its staff were "vilified" for doing what was asked of them by ministers.
More than three million people on ESA, including all those who previously claimed incapacity benefit, are being assessed to see how their illness or disability affects their ability to work.
This process began under the last Labour government and has been accelerated by the coalition government.
Timely and properMr Penning said a decision in March to end Atos's contract early was based on the fact he had lost faith in the firm.
He said a new contractor - expected to be appointed in early 2015 - would not be chosen on cost alone but on its ability to carry out the assessments in a timely and proper fashion.
This would cost the department more money, he said.
Mr Penning also said the government had failed to meet its own deadline of moving people off incapacity benefit and onto ESA.
About 100,000 people in the backlog should have been moved on to the new benefit by April but are still awaiting assessment.
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