What is a support bubble and how far can you travel to visit it?

With lockdown restrictions in England running until at least March 8, support bubbles will continue to play an important role in helping people deal with daily life.

Fears grew earlier this month after reports emerged the government were considering scrapping support bubbles in a bid to reduce the cases of coronavirus transmission.

But No.10 denied the reports, meaning that support bubbles are still allowed in all UK countries for those who can have it.

Here’s all you need to know.

Who can form a support bubble?

You can form a support bubble with another household of any size if:

You live by yourself – even if carers visit you to provide support
You are the only adult in your household who does not need continuous care as a result of a disability
Your household includes a child who is under the age of one or was under that age on December 2, 2020
Your household includes a child with a disability who requires continuous care and is under the age of 5, or was under that age on December 2, 2020
You are aged 16 or 17 living with others of the same age and without any adults
You are a single adult living with one or more children who are under the age of 18 or were under that age on June 12, 2020

You should not form a support bubble with a household that is part of another support bubble.

Gov.uk states: ‘You are permitted to leave your home to visit your support bubble (and to stay overnight with them).’

However, they advise that if you do form a support bubble, ‘it is best if this is with a household who live locally.’

This will help prevent the virus spreading from an area where more people are infected.

So, while there is no official measurement in terms of distance, you should try to limit how far you have to travel to your support bubble.

The same guidance applies across the UK.

Follow Metro across our social channels, on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Share your views in the comments below.