Chancellor George Osborne has announced plans to extend shared parental leave and pay to working grandparents. The Government intends to bring forward legislation to enable it to introduce a more flexible shared parental leave and pay policy by 2018. The announcement follows the publication of evidence indicating that almost two million grandparents have given up work or taken time off to care for grandchildren. More than 50% of mothers rely on grandparents for childcare, and over 60% of working grandparents with grandchildren under the age of 16 provide some childcare. More details regarding the plans are expected in the first half of 2016.