BIRKENHEAD MP Frank Field is battling for legal and financial reform to ease the plight of Britain's "pensioner parents."

A survey of 800 grandparents in Wirral revealed the sacrifices and strains - both physical and financial - many senior citizens are prepared to endure for the sake of their grandchildren.

Across the UK there are 130,000 pensioners who bring up their grandchildren acting, in effect, as foster parents in troubled families or where mothers and fathers are absent. Many receive little or no financial help from local authorities or social services.

In a report, Britain's Pensioner Parents, Mr Field commented: "Grandparents give up their retirement to act as parents to their grandchildren instead of having an easier time. Some have to postpone retirement, many others fall into debt while others are unsure of whether their grandchildren might be taken away from them at any moment."

In a survey carried out on grandparents in Birkenhead who look after their children, the average increase in weekly income for them was £30 for each grandchild looked after.

The highest increase in weekly income for grandparents acting in surrogate roles was £48 per grandchild.

The Birkenhead study revealed that three sets of grandparents had not seen their income increase at all as a result of bringing up their grandchildren.

Mr Field said: "Most grandparents use their own initiative when deciding to look after their grandchildren. Many don't know what their rights are vis--vis their grandchildren and those who do have a tough job finding out for themselves what their rights are.

"Grandparents struggle most with the physical side of looking after their grandchildren, while almost all of them said in the survey that they struggled financially. The Birkenhead grandparents had a very low opinion on the level of support they have been offered."