Nerve 20 - Grandparents as Parents

Grandparents as Parents

There are 14 million grandparents in the UK. Several million act as day-care providers to allow parents to work, or they give temporary respite when parents are ill. Grandparents represent an enormous resource for family support and for the economy.

Yet grandparents have no more legal right of access to their grandchildren than the man at the bus stop, and there are various pressure groups seeking to remedy this anomaly. It is estimated that some 200,000 grandparents are actually raising their grandchildren on a day-to-day basis, providing care as a result of the parents' drug or alcohol misuse, imprisonment, desertion of one parent by another, mental health problems, disability or bereavement.

The pressure on people of advancing years, when a young person comes to live with them can be tremendous, as life-changing as it is when a couple have their first child, but without the benefit of congratulatory cards and youthful energy! The circumstances surrounding the event can be stressful; if you are worried sick about your daughter's drug-addicted disintegration it's difficult to concentrate fully on your distressed grandchildren. Though this is what you must do. If the grandchildren are coming from a chaotic situation it can be difficult to establish stability, especially if they have become accustomed to living with no rules. Teenagers are already resistant to authority and if your grandchildren are older there are hierarchical and territorial issues.

As if this isn't exhausting enough there are tedious practicalities like letting the school know; registering them for medical services; extra washing, ironing, shopping, cooking and cleaning; digging them out of bed in the morning and doing the dreaded school run; taking them to clarinet lessons or dropping them at the cinema; putting up with criticism, comments and advice from other family members… how tiring all this can be.

What you don't need in a crisis is to be debilitated further by poverty. Only grief itself is more corrosive than worrying about money and if this communicates itself to the child, it can create double damage. Most grandparents live on pension income alone. The Government cuts don't help as Daycare Trust's (daycaretrust.org.uk) survey shows.

New HMRC figures reveal the impact of cuts to financial support for childcare costs in April 2011. By cutting the maximum level of support available through the childcare element of Working Tax Credit from 80% of costs to 70%, the average claim has fallen by over £10 per week, costing the low-income working families that receive it more than £500 per year. Furthermore, 44,000 fewer families are receiving this help with childcare costs.

Average childcare costs now exceed £100 for a part-time place (25 hours) in many parts of Britain with the average yearly expenditure for a child under two standing at £5,103. The most expensive nursery recorded by this year's survey costs £300 for 25 hours care - that's £15,000 for a year's childcare.
Childminder costs have risen by a smaller amount with a rise of 3.2% for a child under two, and 3.9% for a child aged two and over.
There are significant gaps in childcare availability across Britain with a worrying lack of childcare for disabled children and parents who work outside normal office hours. Over half of local authorities said that parents had reported a lack of childcare in the previous twelve months.

Other helpful contact and advice: www.grandparentsplus.org.uk

THE SOCIAL FUND

This gives various payments to people on low income with specific costs. To be eligible you must be on state benefits. There is often an element of discretion based on availability of funds. You don't have to repay Community Care Grants.

Community Care Grants - might be available if a child comes to live with you.
Budgeting Loans
Crisis Loans

For more information or to download Social Fund forms go to www.dwp.gov.org

DISABILITY LIVING ALLOWANCE

If you are looking after a grandchild with a disability they may be entitled to DLA which is a benefit for disabled people under 65.

The claim form is long: the care component is paid at three rates and the mobility component is paid at two rates, for example, but you can get over-the-phone help from the Benefits Enquiry Line 0800 88 22 00 or from Citizens' Advice Bureaus or from www.grandparentsplus.org.uk or other disability advice projects. You can also make a claim online: www.directgov.uk

GUARDIAN'S ALLOWANCE

Paid to people who look after a child whose parents are both dead.
or, where one parent is dead and the other can't be found, has a prison sentence of over two years, or is detained in hospital under a court order.

Get a claim pack by phoning the Guardian's Allowance Unit on 0845 302 1464

CHILD BENEFIT

Paid for each child, providing the child is under 16 or under 20 and in full-time non-advanced education, or on an approved training course. If more than one person applies for the child benefit it goes to the person with whom the child lives.
It's tax-free but you can't have it if you are being paid a fostering allowance for the child in question.

Phone the Child Benefit Office on 0845 302 1444 to get a Child Benefit application form or pick one up from HM Revenue and Customs enquiry centres or Jobcentre Plus offices. Or download this form from HM Revenue and Customs website at www.hmrc.gov.uk/childbenefit

CHILD TAX CREDIT

Paid by HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) to people who are bringing up someone under 20 who is in full-time non-advanced education or an approved training course.
Child Tax Credit is paid whether or not you are working because payments depend on your family circumstances and your annual income, but not your savings.
You can get extra Child Tax Credit for a child who is getting Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or is registered blind.

Go to www.hmrc.gov.uk to see if you qualify and how much your entitlement is.
Apply for Child Tax Credit by contacting the tax credit helpline 0845 300 3900 for an application pack.

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