Francesca and her children had already been living with Rebekah, but following her daughter’s death, shestarted the process of becoming the children’s guardian, otherwise known as a kinship carer – a relative or close friend of the child who steps up to care when their parents aren’t able to.
Although she gets benefits – £1,000 Universal Credit each month, Widows Benefit £190 per fortnight and a weekly Child Benefit of £89 – they barely cover the expense of running the family home, which is around £1,500 a month.
‘Christmas dinner will depend on what I can find at the local foodbank’ This year, Rebekah deSouza’s presents for her grandchildren will be a far cry from what many grandparents will be putting under the tree.
At her house, insted of the latest must-have gadget or toy, the children will be unwrapping duvets and towels.
‘Other kids are getting things like PlayStation, but we can’t do that,’ the 63-year-old in Kent tells Metro.
