Grandparents 'run up debts' to care for grandchildren

Maureen Seed, from Wakefield, West Yorkshire, looked after two of her grandchildren for 16 years because of her daughter's drug problems.

She amassed about £20,000 of credit card debt and is facing bankruptcy.

Two charities carried out surveys of kinship carers - people who look after grandchildren, or the children of other family members or friends. They suggest Ms Seed's case is not unusual.

One found more than a third of carers used a credit card to buy food, while a similar number missed paying a bill.