Budget: Grandparents of working age who care for their grandchildren will see that work count towards their entitlement for the basic state pension

[WilfSell]

Now that's a good idea, amid all the gloom.

Need to find the details...

Really? But not the same right for mothers/fathers who take care of their own children?

Dunno. I think mothers certainly used to be able to claim extra NI allowances while caring for kids and would be surprised if men couldn't...

Agree Greensleeves - why is it that childcare is recognised as a socially valuable function worthy of recognition when it is performed by everyone except the actual parents?

What is this about?
Can someone give me the details?

Policy - I agree with you to an extent, however, I think the reason would be that a parent chooses to have a child, and therefore care for it. Any other carer (paid or unpaid) is doing it to 'help', as per any job.

Parents do get child benefit, and child tax credits, which, whilst not a great deal, are 'payment' in a way for caring for your child.

Don't you get Home responsibilities protection if you at home with the children (as a mother or father)?

Yes Katy until your youngest is 16 well I think its 16.

If you're not working, and getting child benefit, you already get those years counted towards your pension - I think that's the Home responsibilities protection KatyMac mentioned? So it sounds like they're just allowing this to transfer to grandparents who do the caring instead of going out to work.

SO rather than not recognising what SAHM's do it is expanding it so SAH Grandparents get the same benefit?

Wont this be a nightmare to administer -and open to abuse?

DSM - you're right that that's the reasoning, but it leads to a situation in which parents who want to stay at home to bring up young children are forced into work, while badly-paid childcare workers look after their children. It's senseless.

NB Not having a go at anyone who makes a positive choice of paid employment.

(We get very little child tax credit - between that and child benefit we barely cover our monthly gas bill. It's certainly nothing approaching a wage.)

we get virtually sod all tax credit too

and child benefit is universal, it's not remuneration for SAHPs

women who stay at home with children are still socially and culturally bloody invisible - it's the lowest-status identity there is. policywonk is right that anyone APART FROM THE PARENT who takes care of children is afforded respect for doing so.

it pisses me off, and I'm not even a SAHM any more

This is outrageous.

It is just not on for childcare to be a job for everyone except for a SAHP (usually a mother).

Feminists speak out!

So agree Policywonk, it's crap.

Link to Home Responsibilities Protection - this is something which parents already automatically get if they meet the criteria.

I think this is what they are going to extend after this budget.

The budget actually says "From April 2011, grandparents and other family members will be able to gain National Insurance credits towards the basic state pension for caring for their grandchildren or members of their family aged 12 or younger, for 20 hours a week or more"

I agree that childcare should be recognised more, but I don't think that by expanding this particular scheme (which parents are already able to get) they are being unfair to families!

Agree with AMum. I understood one of the reasons that it was important to apply for Child benefit (even if you didn't need the cash) was that your NI contributions were kept up whilst you were out of paid employment. I think that if grandparents are providing these kind of services it's a nice policy. It's not TAKING AWAY anything.

Anna - don't think it is a feminist issue, it goes for SAHM and SAHF.

Policywonk - Don't you think though, that if there was a system that allowed for a pay system for SAHP, this would simply be abused by too many? How many people would simply not bother going back to work?

Though, I agree there are lots of people who want to be SAHP's and simply can't afford to. But there are lots of things lots of people want to do and can't afford to.

I think paying people to be SAHP would be far too open to abuse.

I agree with BonsoirAnna

I don't see why a system to pay for SAHP would be any more abused than the present benefits system

ok , so whats to stop all granparents claiming they're looking after GC then?.I am asking as a mother of dc with two sets of useless grandparents who couldnt give a toss about visiting their gc never mind actually looking after them so i could go to work!. Any grandparent who does look after kids is worth there weight in gold IMHO, so should get recognition at least....but this will be abused by many useless twonks!

I think recognising the value and significance of the full-time parenting role - particularly as it's one most often performed by women - would be a truly significant step. Agree with Anna - it's a feminist issue IMO. All benefits are open to abuse one way or the other.

I suppose that by our gradual increasing recognition of the value and significance of all parent substitutes, we might eventually get around to realising that full-time parents are themselves valuable?

Hmmmm.

My parents face financial ruin, their pension collapsed and they have yet to see a penny- will likely be on HB / IS for remainder f lives. When I lived close by Mum provided childcare for me and my sisters, as Dh and I were on V low wages then (when ds1 / 2 were born joint salary under £22k both FT, pre minimum wage) it was the only way forwards for us- no WTC back then.

I'd have loved her to have been able to get something back for it. She didnt work when we were kids so doesnt have enough contributions for full pension.

I love the idea of a SAHP payment, but given that as a FT arer to 2 SN children (plus my oher 2) I only qualify for just over £50 I cant see it somehow

Sorry to hear about your parents, Peachy. Carer's allowance rates are absolutely fucking shameful.

It's a pittance when you consider the costs if we saqid sod it and the Government ahd to pay soster rates or a nursing home..... but the worst thing isn't the rate, I am actually grateful that I get something, it's the restrictions they place upon you. work 18 hours- claim ends (even thogh those hours are when your kids are in school, you'restill up all night). Got o college / Uni in the hope of ne day earning enough to pay a Nanny or specialist childcarer- claim ends but you don't get extra student loans etc. Eatrn much more than minimum wage for less than the hour cut off- again strike out.

Make any effort to change things, basically and you're out. But you still have to do the caring.

Caring for people is expensive, it's cheaper to pay a carer a pittance and write off a family. Dh almost had to give up his work this week due to a LEA cock up on transport that required me to be in two,places for two SN kids at differnet times- sorted now but how silly is that?

Should have taken that socialpolicy palce Bristol offered me LOL