Advice on support bubble
Discussion
I've read the current legislation on lockdown and although I think I understand it, I still have some doubt in my mind. I really don't want to be on the wrong side of the law, so I'm just looking for some reassurance.
I'm a single adult household, I work from home and I'm not in a support bubble with anyone yet. I want to bubble with my partner and their family, who live 100 miles away. They are furloughed and are not bubbling with anyone else.
Our understanding is we can form a support bubble and visit each other, and act as one household, despite living 100 miles away.
What I'm a bit unsure of is if I can go to my partners, and bring them back to mine so we can have some privacy. They don't drive, and public transport is convoluted due to where they live.
I'm just conscious if I were to be stopped by the police at a checkpoint or for whatever reason, they would argue that me picking them up and making double the journeys is not essential?
I don't know if I'm overthinking this, but I don't want to break any restrictions. Thanks.
I'm a single adult household, I work from home and I'm not in a support bubble with anyone yet. I want to bubble with my partner and their family, who live 100 miles away. They are furloughed and are not bubbling with anyone else.
Our understanding is we can form a support bubble and visit each other, and act as one household, despite living 100 miles away.
What I'm a bit unsure of is if I can go to my partners, and bring them back to mine so we can have some privacy. They don't drive, and public transport is convoluted due to where they live.
I'm just conscious if I were to be stopped by the police at a checkpoint or for whatever reason, they would argue that me picking them up and making double the journeys is not essential?
I don't know if I'm overthinking this, but I don't want to break any restrictions. Thanks.
I don't think anyone has been able to find any rules limiting the distance for a social bubble, in fact much online guidance specifically says there is no distance limit but then mentions rubbish about moving between tier areas etc which is not really helpful.
In a social bubble you are treated as one household so all the normal household activities that are allowed you can do with them, including going home with a partner.
It matters not that there are 2 seperate residences per se.
In a social bubble you are treated as one household so all the normal household activities that are allowed you can do with them, including going home with a partner.
It matters not that there are 2 seperate residences per se.
Breadvan, thanks for the link, I did actually spot that when I did a search but as above I was still uncertain, though I'm not sure I understand your "no legal requirement comment".
I guess I'm just overly worried, especially as I have a firearms certificate and I already know of gun owners who have had their ticket revoked during the first lockdown for breaking COVID regulations (and rightly so). I don't want to fall into the same category.
I guess I'm just overly worried, especially as I have a firearms certificate and I already know of gun owners who have had their ticket revoked during the first lockdown for breaking COVID regulations (and rightly so). I don't want to fall into the same category.
Jasmine1 said:
Breadvan, thanks for the link, I did actually spot that when I did a search but as above I was still uncertain, though I'm not sure I understand your "no legal requirement comment".
I guess I'm just overly worried, especially as I have a firearms certificate and I already know of gun owners who have had their ticket revoked during the first lockdown for breaking COVID regulations (and rightly so). I don't want to fall into the same category.
What is not to understand? There is no legal requirement for any journey to be essential. Those are ordinary English words. All that is required is that a person has a reasonable excuse to leave home. You have a reasonable excuse.I guess I'm just overly worried, especially as I have a firearms certificate and I already know of gun owners who have had their ticket revoked during the first lockdown for breaking COVID regulations (and rightly so). I don't want to fall into the same category.
Breadvan72 said:
Jasmine1 said:
Breadvan, thanks for the link, I did actually spot that when I did a search but as above I was still uncertain, though I'm not sure I understand your "no legal requirement comment".
I guess I'm just overly worried, especially as I have a firearms certificate and I already know of gun owners who have had their ticket revoked during the first lockdown for breaking COVID regulations (and rightly so). I don't want to fall into the same category.
What is not to understand? There is no legal requirement for any journey to be essential. Those are ordinary English words. All that is required is that a person has a reasonable excuse to leave home. You have a reasonable excuse.I guess I'm just overly worried, especially as I have a firearms certificate and I already know of gun owners who have had their ticket revoked during the first lockdown for breaking COVID regulations (and rightly so). I don't want to fall into the same category.
If I were to be stopped, how do I prove I am picking up a member of my support bubble, as opposed to just going for a drive/driving to a beauty spot or anything else that is not allowed?
Jasmine1 said:
What I'm getting at is that saying you have a reasonable excuse seems a bit too simple.
If I were to be stopped, how do I prove I am picking up a member of my support bubble, as opposed to just going for a drive/driving to a beauty spot or anything else that is not allowed?
Well, if PC Pedantic was being difficult, you could 'phone your partner and ask them to speak to the officer, to confirm your reason.If I were to be stopped, how do I prove I am picking up a member of my support bubble, as opposed to just going for a drive/driving to a beauty spot or anything else that is not allowed?
The word "reasonable" in the law has its normal everyday meaning, and support bubbles are well established.
And the chances of you being stopped are next to zero in the first place. Relax.
Brave Fart said:
Jasmine1 said:
What I'm getting at is that saying you have a reasonable excuse seems a bit too simple.
If I were to be stopped, how do I prove I am picking up a member of my support bubble, as opposed to just going for a drive/driving to a beauty spot or anything else that is not allowed?
Well, if PC Pedantic was being difficult, you could 'phone your partner and ask them to speak to the officer, to confirm your reason.If I were to be stopped, how do I prove I am picking up a member of my support bubble, as opposed to just going for a drive/driving to a beauty spot or anything else that is not allowed?
The word "reasonable" in the law has its normal everyday meaning, and support bubbles are well established.
And the chances of you being stopped are next to zero in the first place. Relax.
Jasmine1 said:
944 Man said:
Revoked with what justification? That is typical, but at the same time unacceptable.
Pest control on a local permission back in April, which isn't/wasn't classed as essential.OP - just for some context, there is the legislation and then there is the guidance. In general the guidance goes well beyond what is actually defined in the legislation. So comments like 'essential journey' are words that exist in the guidance but not in the legislation. And only the legislation is enforceable in law.
It is exactly as others have said, there is guidance and there are laws.
It appears you wouldn’t be breaking a law.
But at 100 miles, it’s likely you will need to stop for a wee, or petrol, or something to eat, and travelling around the country whilst potentially infected with a virus is exactly what they are trying to stop.
It would be quite easy for you to pick up a virus somewhere on your travels (petrol pump for example), then take it to your partner, then into a coffee shop, a public toilet and then back to your home location where you take it with you to tesco etc. All the whole you spread the virus to other people who then do the same.
This is probably why the UK has 50k cases per day.
The request is to stay home and avoid the risk of doing this.
What you do is entirely down to your conscience.
It appears you wouldn’t be breaking a law.
But at 100 miles, it’s likely you will need to stop for a wee, or petrol, or something to eat, and travelling around the country whilst potentially infected with a virus is exactly what they are trying to stop.
It would be quite easy for you to pick up a virus somewhere on your travels (petrol pump for example), then take it to your partner, then into a coffee shop, a public toilet and then back to your home location where you take it with you to tesco etc. All the whole you spread the virus to other people who then do the same.
This is probably why the UK has 50k cases per day.
The request is to stay home and avoid the risk of doing this.
What you do is entirely down to your conscience.
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