Without me these children would be put in care. This charity is my rock

OUR CHRISTMAS CAMPAIGN FOCUSES ON 'KINSHIP CARERS' WITH LITTLE CASH SUPPORT. DAVID COHEN REPORTS

- DAVID COHEN

CARRIE never imagined that, in her fifties, she would be bringing up her grandson Tyler as his carer and trying to survive on a food budget of just £2.33 a day. But 12 years ago, when Tyler was one, his parents were deemed unfit and Tyler was taken into care. 

At the time Carrie had a decent office job, £25,000 in the bank and did not worry about bills. So, when social services said Tyler would be given up for adoption, Carrie stepped in and said: "Nobody is taking my grandson off me."

The grandmother, who lives in a council house in south-west London, was handed a special guardianship order giving her full custody of Tyler. She would sacrifice her career to look after the toddler, but had no inkling of the financial hardship and isolation that lay ahead. 

This year, with her savings completely depleted and her monthly universal credit of £1,100 barely meeting her rent and utility bills, she has just £70 a month left for food.

Carrie said: "I have never felt as much stress as I do now. Since the cost of living crisis, my gas and electricity has risen by £150 to £250 a month, food prices have doubled and we have no money to do anything.

Even a £5 meal at McDonald's is beyond us. I live off coffee but Tyler is overweight and his GP said he should do activities, but I cannot afford it. I used to be a calm person but this year I am totally terrified and it's affected my mental health really badly."

Tyler is one of around 160,000 children in kinship care, more than double the amount in foster care, but unlike foster carers, who receive an allowance of around £1,800 a month, most kinship carers like Carrie are "invisible" to the state and get no additional financial support. A quarter, like Carrie, face "severe challenges" or are "at crisis point", while over 10 per cent regularly run out of food and cannot afford to buy more.