'Support bubbles' to benefit tens of thousands of people living alone in Calderdale

Single adult households in England can now form a “support bubble” with another household, in a move to make lockdown more bearable for those who live alone.

And it will be welcome news for the 35,000 people living on their own in Calderdale, who will soon be able to enjoy more social contact with friends and loved ones.

The figure shows the estimated number of single-person households in the area recorded by the Office for National Statistics in 2018 – the latest available data.

The new plan, announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson at a Downing Street press conference, allows adults living alone or single parents with children aged under 18 to mix with one other household.

They can now interact as though they were one household, spend time together indoors, not follow the two-metre rule and stay overnight.

Although officials admitted the measure would not benefit everyone, it is targeted at those who had been left isolated by the current lockdown restrictions.

Children in single-parent households can see one set of grandparents, and a grandparent living alone is allowed to visit the house of their child and grandchildren.

However, the move does not allow a couple to visit both parents as neither household would comprise a single adult.

Couples who have been kept apart in lockdown can reunite, as long as they are both currently living alone.

Announcing the new measure, Mr Johnson said: “We are making this change to support those who are particularly lonely as a result of lockdown measures.

"I want to stress that support bubbles must be exclusive, meaning you cannot switch the household you are in a bubble with or connect with multiple households."