Coronavirus rules - who is correct?

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So in the grand scheme of things this doesn't really matter, but it's bugging me and I've struggled to find a definitive answer on gov.uk or through Google.

DM lives in the north of England and her partner lives in the south. (Became 'more than friends' a few years after his wife and my DF both died, and they're very cute together.)

Neither wants to give up their own house, so they've tended to visit each other for a week or two at a time and also have some time apart, in their own houses. Since March they have stayed together at all times, mostly down at his, but coming up north together from time to time to stay at hers.

They've been down south for a few months but are planning to come up north again this weekend. Right now they're in Tier 3. Planning to travel to Tier 4, to stay for a few weeks before returning again.

They consider themselves to be one household, and accordingly have a support bubble down south with a relative of DM's partner who lives alone. However, in order to move freely between their two individual homes, wouldn't they have to be each OTHER'S support bubble and therefore not see anyone else indoors? I don't think they can be one household with two separate homes and just travel between them as they fancy? Especially as it's a long way and they're moving from Tier 3 to 4.

However they say that they are partners who have two separate homes, but are one household and can travel freely between the two houses.

I think they are bending the rules quite a bit and, more importantly, taking a completely unnecessary risk by travelling the length of the country in freezing weather just because DM hasn't been home for a few weeks and fancies a change of scenery. Especially when they're travelling into a higher Tier. Even if it's not against the law, it's certainly not in the spirit of it right now. Isn't travelling between two homes for no good reason exactly the kind of thing that some MPs had to resign over back in the first lockdown?

Not planning to convey responses to DM by the way, they'll travel up regardless and I'm not going to argue any further. It's just bugging me so I thought I'd see what MN thinks.

I agree with you, total rule bending.

I think in this case they are one household as they have been living together for most of the year. That makes it ok to bubble with a single person.
In terms of moving between households they are a couple with a second home. They shouldn’t really be moving to their second home in a tier 4 area. Can’t say it bothers me much though as long as they follow the tier 4 rules once they get there. I would leave them to it, it isn’t a good idea to leave a house empty for long periods especially in this weather.
I might ask them If they have plans to move in together properly and sell one of the houses, it would save them tonnes of money.

I agree with you. They should pick where they're going to live and stick with it until restrictions ease. There are specific restrictions in travelling between your main and second home which is essentially what they're doing.

Is one of them an MP or Government Advisor though? In which case its fine!

Their situation is arguably not different to any other couple lucky enough to have a holiday home- nothing to do with bubbles in my view. You are not allowed to travel into a Tier 4 area for any reason other than work or caring responsibilities so that scuppers the plan anyway. Gov.uk specifically mentions overnight stays in second homes

www.gov.uk/guidance/tier-3-very-high-alert?priority-taxon=774cee22-d896-44c1-a611-e3109cce8eae#travel

I would agree with you. There can be some grey areas as the law cant account for every nuance in people's circumstances. However, if they are a household then they should decide which is their home. Then the other is their second home and they can only travel when he law says you can. Or they can be two separate households and in each other's support bubble as two single people..they seem to want it both ways.

I agree. The arrangement you've described is two people living in separate households.

The Tier 4 and Tier 3 rules are that you’re not allowed to stay overnight in your second home. So they can declare themselves one household and live together in one of their homes but not travel to the other one.

The problem is when they leave the tier 4 area and go back to tier 3. Will they follow tier 4 rules when they come back to tier 3? Even if they do they’re more at risk of covid from having being in tier 4 and could pass it on to to the relative, or to someone in a supermarket? Hopefully they will get all shopping online when in tier 4 and self isolate when coming back to tier 3 to reduce the risk.

You're correct, they're living together at one house and the other is a second home. By moving between the two, they are currently breaking the law. There are also implications for council tax, but that's not what you're asking.

I think they are a household, but I agree about the second homes. On the face of it, I think the risk is minimal, however like with Cummings and others, they're potentially spreading the virus between locations and sort of holidaying really.