Childminding grandparents hire babysitters to give themselves a rest - new report

Grandparents have long been regarded as the ultimate reliable and cheap childcare solution for busy working parents.

But a new report reveals that many find the task so daunting they regularly hire in babysitters to do it for them.

A survey by the International Longevity Centre (ILC) think tank and insurer Ageas has found that almost a quarter of all grandparents admit to paying for a babysitter, and among those charged with regular childminding duties the rate is 60 per cent.

Baroness Sally Greengross

While the vast majority of those interviewed for the research said they enjoyed spending time with their grandchildren in principle, the new data indicates that the reality for most can be overwhelming.

The report also pointed to separate research which found that looking after grandchildren was likely to put a strain on older people’s marriages, as well as putting them at risk of illness.

The “army” of around nine million grandparents is saving UK families around £16 billion a year in childcare costs, the survey estimates, equivalent to around £1,800 per family.

The average figure is based on grandparents looking after one child in the family, so those looking after siblings could be saving families even more.

However, George Holley-Moore, who led the research at the ILC, said it was likely many grandparents were paying for outside help to give themselves a rest.

“It’s highly possible that they are paying to get a break and that if they have the money they will often just slip £20 to a babysitter rather than having to babysit themselves all the time,” he said.

Thirty-nine per cent of grandparents providing some form of childcare are still in some form of work themselves, the new report estimates.

Despite this, just under half of those those who act as childminders give an average of 16 or more hours of their time each week.

Recent research from another insurer, Royal London, found that thousands of people who are helping to look after their grandchildren could be missing out on valuable credits which would help to build up their pension.

Under the rules governing specified adult childcare credits, if a mother goes back to work after the birth of a child she can sign a form that allows a grandparent, or other family member, to receive National Insurance (NI) credits for looking after the child.

Grandparents | The balance sheet

But in the year up to September 2016 only 1,298 people claimed the credits, according to a Freedom of Information request.

The ILC is now calling on the Government to introduce a statutory 10 days annual leave for grandparents to provide emergency care for a grandchildren if needed.

Former Chancellor George Osborne previously announced the Government would consult on such a scheme, but no action has yet been taken.

Baroness Sally Greengross, president and chief executive of the ILC, said: "It is clear grandparents have become one of the biggest sources of childcare after parents themselves, allowing more parents to work and thereby reducing the costs of childcare.

"Nevertheless, how we support and reward this growing unpaid army and how we reconcile an increasing need to work longer for the over 50s, 60s and 70s and shape and expand family friendly policies for all, remains subject to debate."

The new report, which is based on a survey of more than 2,000 people, also estimates that one in 20 grandparents providing childcare are being paid for their services, while one in 10 have their expenses reimbursed.

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