Some disabled people could trade in their personal independence payment (Pip) for specialist equipment under new government plans.

According to a report by the Guardian, the proposal is among recommendations likely to form the basis of the Timms review of Pip, which is due to be published in the next two months.

Cash is expected to remain the foundation of the Pip award, but claimants would be offered the choice to swap part of their weekly payments for specialist equipment, services, or skills and training.

Pip would remain non-means-tested under the proposal.

Other recommendations include a faster process for new claimants with a terminal illness and fewer benefit reassessments for people with lifelong or degenerative conditions.

The steering committee leading the Timms review, largely made up of disabled people, also wants to review strict and “unnecessarily stressful” rules that suspend an individual’s Pip award automatically after they have spent more than 28 consecutive days in hospital.

Another recommendation calls for improving the way Pip assesses fluctuating issues such as mental illness to adequately capture the impact of conditions that vary over time.

Pip was first introduced in 2013 and is currently claimed by 3.8 million people. The benefit is designed to help with extra costs incurred by living with an illness or disability.

The Minister for Disability and Social Security appeared at Naidex in March this year to provide an update on the Timms Review, the first-ever full review of Pip.

Sir Stephen Timms, co-chair of the group, outlined details of a call for evidence, which opened on March 19 to enable people with disabilities and long-term health conditions, to share their experiences of the benefit.

In July, Sir Stephen published an interim report which concluded that Pip was unfit for purpose and too often left vulnerable claimants feeling dehumanised rather than supported.

According to the Guardian, the committee insists the emerging recommendations are not final but will be tested for “fairness and workability” in a series of workshops involving thousands of people with disabilities across the UK to be held over the next few weeks.

A Department for Work and Pensions spokesperson told the paper: “These are not the final recommendations. The review will report to the secretary of state this autumn and he will carefully consider the final proposals within it.

“The Timms review interim report, co-produced with disabled people, made clear that Pip is no longer fit for purpose.

“Our goal is to deliver a system that supports disabled people and those with long-term conditions to live independent lives, while remaining fair, sustainable and fit for the future.”