Unravelling the jargon: what is a support bubble?

The following notes are copied from the GOV.UK website. At first glance, it would appear that the definition of a support bubble should be fairly easy to grasp. Don’t hold your breath.

Basically, a support bubble is a close support network between a household with only one adult in the home (known as a single-adult household) and one other household of any size.

Once you are in a support bubble, you can think of yourself as being in a single household with people from the other household. It means you can have close contact with that household as if they were members of your own household. Once you make a support bubble, you should not change who is in your bubble.

Continue to follow social distancing guidance with people outside of your household or support bubble. This is critical to keeping you, your family and friends as safe as possible.

You can form a support bubble with another household of any size that is not part of a support bubble with anyone else if you:

• live by yourself – even if carers visit you to provide support
• are a single parent living with children who were under 18 on 12 June 2020

You can form a support bubble with one single-adult household who are not part of a support bubble with anyone else.

The government recommends that you form a support bubble with a household that lives locally wherever possible. This will help to prevent the virus spreading from an area where there might be a higher rate of infection.

From 14 September, if you form or continue in a support bubble, you cannot then change your support bubble. It does not have to be the same support bubble you may have been in previously.

If anyone in your support bubble develops symptoms or tests positive for coronavirus, follow the stay at home guidance.

If you share custody of your child, and you and your child’s other parent are in separate bubbles, members of both bubbles should stay at home if someone develops symptoms. This is critical to controlling the virus, as it will help to stop it spreading across multiple households.