David Cameron has unveiled plans to stop European immigrants claiming benefits for more than three months unless they have the clear prospect of employment.
In the latest in a series of bids to slash welfare spending on EU migrants, the Prime Minister announced a tightening of rules for claiming jobseekers' allowance and child benefit.
Insisting immigrants cannot come to Britain and get "something for nothing", Mr Cameron said the measure was the latest step in building an immigration system that "puts Britain first".
The change comes after it was announced in January that immigrants would not be able to claim benefits for the first three months after arriving in Britain.
Now, under the Conservatives' latest measure, people will be unable to claim for longer than three months without showing they have a serious prospect of finding work.
Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Cameron said: "We are announcing today that we are cutting the time people can claim these benefits for.
"We will be reducing that cut-off point to three months, saying very clearly: you cannot expect to come to Britain and get something for nothing."
Other measures unveiled by the Prime Minister include tighter curbs on colleges who do not run proper checks on student visas and new powers to revoke illegal immigrants' driving licences.
Mr Cameron wrote: "Taken together, this is about building a different kind of Britain - a country that is not a soft touch, but a place to play your part; a nation where those who work hard can get on.
"Carefully and painstakingly, we are building an economy that has real opportunities for our young people; an education system that encourages them to do their best; a welfare system that encourages work; and an immigration system that puts Britain first."
Labour criticised the Coalition for failing to tackle immigration, adding that it called for tougher benefit restrictions 18 months ago.
Shadow Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said: "We need less talk from the Prime Minister on immigration and more action.
"Behind the rhetoric the true picture of this Government on immigration is one of failure, with net migration going up, despite David Cameron's promise to get it down to the tens of thousands."
