ECJ rules benefits can be denied to jobless migrants

In a ruling that could have been written by the Prime Minister himself, the European Court of Justice says it's all right for countries to limit benefits to certain unemployed migrants.

The case involved a Romanian mother and son who applied for benefits in Germany. Mr Cameron called the judgement common sense.

ITV News political correspondent Libby Wiener explains what it means for so called benefit tourism:

Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith said the Government would work with administrations across Europe to assess the wider implications of the so-called 'benefits tourism' ruling by the European Court of Justice.

A Tory MEP has said that The European Court of Justice has ruled in favour of common sense in restricting so-called "benefits tourism".

Read: Labour welcomes European Court of Justice ruling on 'benefit tourism'

The case involved a Romanian woman and her son who had been denied access to certain benefits under the German system.

The European Court of Justice has ruled benefits can be denied to jobless migrants if they have never held a job in that country.

Dubbed "benefits tourism", it has occurred in many EU countries for some time.

But today Germany won the right to refuse to pay a Romanian woman and her son benefits on that basis.

The ECJ said EU countries must be allowed to withhold some benefits to "economically inactive union citizens who exercise their right to freedom of movement solely in order to obtain another member state's social assistance".

It could now have wide ranging impacts on the rest of Europe, including the UK.

A Downing Street spokesman said David Cameron welcomed the ruling and "will look very carefully at what we and other governments can do in response to this judgment."