11th July 2025

Many grandparents help out with childcare over the long summer holidays while parents are busy working.

But what many grandparents don’t know is that they could be eligible for ‘specified adult childcare credits.’ These count towards National Insurance credits for non-working grandparents under retirement age, meaning they could help to top up their National Insurance credits.

Ten years' worth of National Insurance credits are needed to qualify for a state pension, and 35 years’ worth of credits are needed to qualify for the full state pension amount.

So, by looking after a grandchild aged under 12 years old, grandparents could gain National Insurance credits worth up to £330 per year. This means grandparents could be around £6,000 better off over the course of a 20-year retirement.

Grandparents receive the credit when the child’s main carer transfers their own National Insurance credit.

You can find out more by visiting gov.uk/guidance/apply-for-specified-adult-childcare-credits

News from The Sun