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Romanian Big Issue seller called the ‘benefits teacher’ is urging families to follow her to Britain

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Români în Marea Britanie ✍ Romanians in Great Britain

1 ianuarie 2014

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Romanian Big Issue seller called the ‘benefits teacher’ is urging families to follow her to Britain

Firuta Vasile, 29, is claiming £28,000 in UK benefits
She is now passing on her knowledge to friends and family
Best friend Nadia Porojan, also 29, now hopes to move to Oldham
She came to UK last year in order to give birth to make claiming easier

Living as a Romanian immigrant in the UK, Big Issue seller Firuta Vasile sparked outrage when she won the legal right to claim more than £28,000 in benefits.

Now the 29-year-old mother of four has become such an expert at claiming state handouts that she is helping her friends in Romania apply.

Yesterday it emerged that Miss Vasile – dubbed ‘the benefits teacher’ by her friends – is encouraging some of her former neighbours to move to the UK.

Her best friend Nadia Porojan, 29, spoke of her desire to follow in her footsteps.

Mrs Porojan travelled to England in 2012 when she was pregnant so that she could give birth to her third child Shakira in an NHS hospital that August.

Proudly clutching her daughter’s birth certificate, she said: ‘Firuta told me it would be better to give birth in the UK rather than Romania as it would be easier to claim benefits in the future.

‘When I first went to England I went to ask for benefits. Firuta told me than that in about a year or so everyone can apply for them.

‘And she was the one who could help me and was the one who put in a kind word in the right place. She is helping so many people as she is richer than many others.

‘She knew everything there. She is my benefits teacher. She knew where to go and how to ask for benefits for the children and for the house or for other needs.

‘If I had 500 lei (£100) for a bus ticket I would go to the UK right after New Year’s Eve. But I don’t have the money yet, so I’m saving up.