Cameron blitz on long-term jobless

The Tory leader insisted that work was the best way out of poverty as he defended Conservative proposals to strip claimants of their out-of-work benefits if they refuse to sign up to demanding US-style "return to work" programmes designed to help them find jobs.

Under the proposals the long-term unemployed would also be forced to join community work programmes if they want to carry on claiming benefits.

The Tories have already said they intend to stop Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) for three years to claimants who turn down three reasonable job offers in a new "get tough" strategy for the unemployed.

Incapacity benefit claimants would also have to undergo a new assessment to see if they really are unfit to work.

"We have got to offer everyone an assessment and the chance of a training place but we do need to take some quite tough steps to say 'Look, if you are in receipt of Jobseeker's Allowance and you don't accept a reasonable job offer, then the something-for-nothing culture has got to go'," Mr Cameron told GMTV. "You can't just sit at home and say 'I'm not going to work'."

Under the latest elements of the Conservative package, there would be a new, two-year limit for JSA claimants. After that, they would have to join a mandatory, year-long community work programme or face the loss of their benefits.

The new requirement will cover both continuous and cumulative periods of unemployment in order to stop people signing off for short periods only to go back on benefits, putting themselves back to day one of a claim.

At the same time, the Tories say they would establish a network of "back to work" centres around the country where the unemployed would be given help in finding work and making job applications.

Claimants would be expected to spend most of the working week at the centres, which would be run by independent organisations. Those who refuse to join a return to work scheme would again have their benefits stopped.