The government will reportedly consider expanding its cashless welfare card across the country, with the aim of reducing alcohol abuse.

Early last year the government announced it would be trialling the card in three test sites, beginning with Ceduna in South Australia and the East Kimberley in northern Western Australia.

The card allows users to buy necessities like food, clothes, fuel and health items, but is banned at pubs, bottle shops and gambling outlets.

The idea stemmed from a review into Indigenous employment by mining magnate Andrew Forrest.

According to The Australian, the Turnbull government will seek a mandate at the next election to extend the card to all welfare recipients across regional Australia, if the card proves successful in the trials.

Under the new system, 80 percent of a person’s welfare payment would be placed on the card, and the remaining 20 percent would be available as cash.

The newspaper reports up to seven Western Australian shires have shown interest in the trial.

Durack MP Melissa Price is reportedly pushing for Geraldton to become a trial site, in order to test how the card would work in a metropolitan area.