Under the policy announced at last year's Budget, 5,000 unemployed people on Youth Allowance and Newstart at three trial sites in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia would have their saliva, urine and hair follicles tested for ecstasy, marijuana and methamphetamine.



Those who fail the test wouldn't be able to access their Centrelink payments in cash and instead put on a cashless welfare card that could only be spent on rent, child care and food.

A second positive test would result in the recipient being charged for the cost of the test and referred for treatment.

The government had planned to start the trial in January but it was dumped after being almost universally condemned by drug and alcohol experts, academics and welfare groups, and described as "misguided" by the prime minister's favourite charity, the Wayside Chapel in Sydney's King Cross.

Then social services minister Christian Porter told BuzzFeed News that the government wasn't abandoning the trial and it would reintroduce the policy when it believed it had the numbers in the Senate.



Labor, the Greens and the Nick Xenophon Team have refused to support the measures. Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm has a list of demands before handing over his vote, including adding alcohol to the substances being tested for.



But recent changes to the numbers in the Senate - which has seen the NXT and One Nation each lose a senator to the crossbench - the government is confident it can now pass the legislation.