Australians living in social housing could soon have their welfare payments automatically docked to cover rent and utility bills.
Social Services Minister Christian Porter believes the scheme will help reduce homelessness among tenants with serious rental debts who are at risk of eviction or housing abandonment.
In 2013-14, more than 8900 households living in social housing - including families with children - owed more than three weeks of rent.
More than 2300 people were evicted due to rental arrears.
"It is highly likely many of these families end up in specialist homelessness services or staying with family or friends or indeed sleeping rough," Mr Porter said.
"This is undoubtedly a terrible circumstance for the individuals and families involved and of course can lead to long-term homelessness."
The scheme, underpinned by legislation introduced to parliament on Thursday, is due to start in March 2018.
As the government tightens its grip on how welfare dollars are spent, a group of Nationals MPs is pushing for a widespread rollout of cashless welfare cards.
The cards, being trialled in three locations, quarantine a large chunk of welfare payments from being spent on booze and gambling.
"The taxpayers of Australia don't give that money to people to put through the pokies, to drink excessively and to purchase illegal substances," NSW Nationals MP Mark Coulton said.
People who received welfare payments should not consider it a wage.
"I don't think it's unreasonable there are some guidelines put in as to how that money is spent," Mr Coulton said.
Mr Porter says the government will soon nominate a fourth trial site, but that's as far as it's prepared to go at this stage.
"These are trials and we're watching to see how they go," he said.
But Human Services Minister Alan Tudge indicated the government was unlikely to stop at four sites.
"Our plan is to roll it out steadily, progressively, region by region where there is a demonstrable need and where there the community leadership is in support," he told Sky News .
Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce didn't go as far as backing the idea, but said the cards were clearly working and should be rolled out to more areas.
Labor says it would never support a national rollout of the measure, although it's happy to back expansion on a case-by-case basis if local communities support it.
"The blanket look at it from the Nationals is completely over the top," Labor senator Anthony Chisholm told reporters.
Greens senator Rachel Siewert said welfare recipients were being demonised.
"They accuse them of over-consuming alcohol, of taking drugs, of being bludgers," she said.
"People on Newstart are trying to make ends meet so they can find work, so they can support their families."
The government is also cracking the whip on welfare recipients who refuse to vaccinate their kids, introducing legislation to slug families $28 per child each fortnight in a revamped "no jab, no pay" policy.
