So if you care for a child, you can claim Specified Adult Childcare Credits and this counts toward your National Insurance contributions.

Investments and savings firm Hargreaves Lansdown said those not claiming could lose more than £53,500 during a retirement spanning 20 years.

This works out to a staggering £2,675 per year.

Sarah Boles, personal finance analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: “If you don’t have enough, then your years caring as a grandparent can make an enormous difference.”

So if you have National Insurance contributions which span 30 years, and have cared for a child for five years, claiming the credits could push your State Pension claim to the full 35 years.