AREN'T grandmas brilliant? There's something about the gentle way they handle problems, the way they're never impatient, and the way they're always trying to feed you treats that makes a visit seem like snuggling under a warm blanket.

This week I had to privilege of getting to know two pretty super grans.

Annie Doyle and Pat McDermot have both found themselves caring for their grandsons full-time after their daughters couldn't cope.

At a time in their lives when you'd hope to be putting your feet up to enjoy a hard-earned rest, the pair both struggle to raise young boys and run a household single-handedly after the strain of the situation split up their marriages.

What these women do is admirable enough as it is, but when you realise the financial hardship they put themselves through and the personal sacrifices they have to make, their efforts seem super-human.

Amazingly these women aren't properly supported by the local authorities and, like many grandparent carers, they feel isolated and ignored.

When a child is taken off its parents, for whatever reason, the first port of call is very often the grandparents because it's the best (and cheapest) option.

But what not many grandparents know when they first enter into this arrangement is that when they apply for a residency order, which makes them the legal guardian, the cash they receive from the government is much less than if they were fostering strangers.

How can this be fair?

To me this seems like a blatant example of the government taking advantage of family ties and moral obligation to save a bit of cash.

And sometimes it's the child that suffers because the grandparents simply can't afford to take them in when they're getting by on a pension.

As one grandparent said: "Social services offered me £26 a week to care for my grandchild. I couldn't afford it, so they placed her with foster carers and paid them £150 a week."

Depressingly, speaking to staff at the Grandparent Carer Network in Burnley, it seems that a change in policy to give grandparents the support they're entitled to isn't anywhere close to coming.

Grandparent carers are often shy to come forward to ask for help because they feel embarrassed about the circumstances surrounding the situation - they're ashamed to admit their own child has failed as a parent.

So they battle on without complaint.

Even though they struggle, the one thing that came shining through from both Pat and Annie was how much pleasure they get from watching their grandchildren grow up.

As Pat said: "However much we struggle, I have always loved my grandchildren and always will."

And that's why grandmas are brilliant. Why don't you give yours a call right now to tell her that you love her?