David Cameron visited the Colchester Jobcentre Plus today to launch a national scheme.
The prime minister spoke at the High Street site to launch the Help to Work Scheme, a package of measures designed to get the long-term unemployed back into work.
Options open to Jobcentre staff include making claimants sign on every day and take part in a community work placement for up to six months in order to build up skills.
Speaking in Colchester Mr Cameron said: “This is about helping people who have been out of work get back into work, but we are very clear that there are no more easy options.
“The days of giving people benefit cheques and not asking for anything in return - those days are gone.
“If you have been out of work - sometimes for three years - it is absolutely right to say to people if you want to go on receiving welfare then you should do some work because that work helps you to get back into work.”
It is the second time in five days Colchester has been visited by a senior politician.
Deputy prime minister Nick Clegg visited the town on Thursday to launch his Liberal Democrat party’s European election manifesto in the morning, and carried out ministerial duties when he went to a Greenstead school in the afternoon.
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