Living together in two homes

[RockinTheLockdown]

DP and I both have older teenagers living at home. Pre lockdown I spent 2 nights a week at his place and he spent 4 nights a week here and my kids see him as their stepdad. Since lockdown we haven't seen each other at all because of the rules, but we effectively lived together, albeit across 2 properties, so could we/should we have continued to do that?

Bumping

You could have all moved in together and had the same risk. I have one neighbour who went to stay with family round the corner, so they all dot back and forth to do gardening, it keeps their risk the same but she isn't lonely. It's against the rules to do it between two houses, but I have think why anybody else would care, it's up to you really.

You know you can’t mix households. Why ask other people to tell you that?

You are basically saying you want to do this and need some form of group approval for it. Make your own decision and take your own risk.

The teens are probably mixing with even more people if that helps.

*can't not have

By the letter of the law-no. By the intention of the law, you could see yourself as one household with two bases/houses. I don't have a problem with it. But then I'm not a pedant. I'm concerned with not spreading the virus. I'm not concerned with people quietly doing things that in no way will spread the virus but don't exactly follow the rule. Like when we were told one walk a day and people were criticising people who lived in the outer Hebrides a hundred miles from their neighbour for going out twice.

I’m kind of using two bases but it’s no risk as I live alone. Me and DP both live alone and WFH. I’m mainly staying at his for lockdown but popping back to my empty house every couple days.

LemonTT You know you can’t mix households. Why ask other people to tell you that?

You are basically saying you want to do this and need some form of group approval for it. Make your own decision and take your own risk.

The teens are probably mixing with even more people if that helps.

No. I'm saying we already lived together as one household but with 2 bases. It's very frustrating. If we'd known it would have gone on this long, we'd have all moved into the one property, which would have worked fine with the schools being closed.

The teens have been brilliant, none of them have gone near any of their friends, who are all equally sensible and responsible young adults.

You are 2 households by any definition. You know it otherwise why ask the question. Make up your own mind but don’t ask other people to be responsible for your decision.

My original question was could we/should we have continued as we were. I wasn't asking anyone's permission. We're all just struggling and wondered if we could have made it easier for ourselves.

You could have, but you'd have been breaking the rules. You are not living together in two houses. You are living apart.

If you were to fill in a universal credit application tomorrow would you declare him as your partner? There's your answer.