In 2011, the specified adult childcare was introduced and is available to grandparents or other family members who care for a child under 12 whenever their parent or main carer is at work.
An estimate shows that more than 100,000 grandparents of working age could benefit from the scheme . Nevertheless, only a few claim the benefit. The new system of transferable National Insurance credits means that grandparents need no longer lose out on building up a full state pension just because they are caring for a grandchild.
Parents who sign up for Child Benefit automatically qualify for National Insurance credits. However, when they go back to work, they have the option to pass on these credits to the grandparents who are looking after children when both grandparents and parents applied for credits to be transferred.