COVID-19 and the Pivotal role of Grandparents: Childcare and income Support in the UK and South Africa

The COVID-19 global crisis and the “stay-home” response taken by most governments has starkly exposed dependence of formal economies on invisible unpaid care labor women – a that intensified during pandemic as public childcare provision schools are shut parents work from home. This article focuses specifically income support provided grandparents in United Kingdom South Africa. In undertaking this comparative analysis study demonstrates universality intergenerational interdependence contextual specificity grandparental provision, well differential impacts suspending, or risking, such supports pandemic. Grandparents within across households make substantial contributions to economic, social, affective lives, argues for greater recognition these crucial development more intersectional understanding work.HIGHLIGHTS highlighted grandparents’ key society part support.In UK, suspension informal gaps provision.In Africa, maintained caregiving roles multigenerational households, despite health risks.Grandparents’ must be recognized, reevaluated, reprioritized government recovery planning.