Does this mean I can have a support bubble

[Minimummymee]

I have a dd who is 18 months, my partner has a disability and requires me to care for him when I’m not at work and my MIL to help him when I’m at work and to help with our dd. According to the government website if you’re the only adult in a household that doesn’t require care you can form a support bubble, does this mean we could form a support bubble with his parents house?

Sounds like you already have?

We’ve not? We have. A childcare bubble and she assists with dp care when I’m not there I haven’t seen her since Christmas Day when we could mix with a household

It sounds like your MIL is your support bubble. Unfortunately I don’t think you could add a third household in.

Oh, I just meant could I see my MIL too as a support bubble as that’s the only family I have here anyway

Ah, I see what you mean. You’re only allowed one bubble. I think I’m this case you’re allowed to see your MIL and her household socially as well due to your husbands care needs.

Yes, you can form a support bubble with another household (of any size)

Yes

@Busygoingblah

Ah, I see what you mean. You’re only allowed one bubble. I think I’m this case you’re allowed to see your MIL and her household socially as well due to your husbands care needs.

This isn’t true as I understand it. What makes you think you can only have one kind of bubble?

You can have both a childcare and a support bubble.

Mil can be your support bubble and you and she can mix and stay overnight.

Another household could also help you with childcare if you wanted. Your dc could stay overnight and be in this other household’s house but the adults can’t mix socially.

Maybe I’m being thick but does this mean dp could also mix with his mum socially then and dc if I am there?

Yes absolutely. If mil is your support bubble you, dp, mil and the kids can mix, at home, outdoors and stay overnight as if you were one household

If you're not socialising with MIL when she's doing childcare my interpretation is you could have support bubble if you needed it - you're allowed to have both a support bubble and a childcare bubble, and your MIL's care for your DP is independent of you. But the spirit of the guidance is that the support bubble is for those who are in effect a single adult, so if your DP is still able to provide adult company and support from you, you should think very hard about the advisability of bringing another household into the mix. Remember between 1 in 35 and 1 in 55 people have Covid this week - even if there's only a 1/55 chance in your area, if you have a group of 6 people (you, DP, MIL one DC and a couple that you propose to bubble with), there's a 1 in 10 chance that one of you has Covid.
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We have a support bubble like this

@BornOnThe4thJuly each household is only allowed 1 bubble.

To quote from government guidelines - ‘ You should not form a support bubble with a household that is part of another support bubble.

OP DH is already part of a bubble with MIL so the family can’t form another bubble with yet another household but she is certainly allowed to be included in a bubble with MIL and MIL’s household and therefore see them socially.

I hope being allowed to see them socially helps OP!

@MereDintofPandiculation entirely depends what individuals are doing. We never go into any indoor environments and nor does anyone in our support bubble. All shipping delivered, all outer wrapping cleaned

@Busygoingblah she can have 1) a support bubble and 2) a childcare bubble at the same time

Yes you are allowed a childcare bubble and a support bubble but only if the adults in the households aren’t mixing. MIL is already spending time with DH so it’s already a support bubble rather than a childcare bubble!

What is the second support bubble? Can’t see that suggested?

OP DH is already part of a bubble with MIL so the family can’t form another bubble with yet another household DP isn't in a support bubble with MIL, she is acting as his carer. It's the same situation as if OP had a childminder who was also acting as DP's carer when she wasn't there. There is no restriction over having both a childcare bubble and a support bubble, only a restriction on bring in part of two support bubbles. OP isn't currently in a support bubble, provided she isn't socialising with MIL.

I think the question is, whether OP herself is in the category of being allowed a support bubble. She would be if she were a single parent, and she and DP would be if they had a baby under 13 months, or a child with disabilities, but I haven't read the guidance enough to know whether someone with a husband needing care counts as needing a support bubble.

MIL is already spending time with DH so it’s already a support bubble rather than a childcare bubble! She's there as a carer, she's not socialising.

If DP had a carer from the LA, no-one would be saying "the household is in a support bubble with the carer, so cannot have another support bubble".

@MereDintofPandiculation either way it doesn’t matter. OP and family are definitely allowed to be socialising with MIL’s family right now. She and her husband are both allowed support due to his disability. Which is great for her.

@Busygoingblah But surely if she's socialising with MIL and family then that's her support bubble and she isn't allowed another?

Whereas if she doesn't socialise with MIL, merely accepts childcare, and DP accepts Mil as a carer but doesn't face-to-face socialise with his family, then OP can have a support bubble elsewhere, which is what she wants to do.

Is it?

[quote Busygoingblah]@BornOnThe4thJuly each household is only allowed 1 bubble.

To quote from government guidelines - ‘ You should not form a support bubble with a household that is part of another support bubble.

OP DH is already part of a bubble with MIL so the family can’t form another bubble with yet another household but she is certainly allowed to be included in a bubble with MIL and MIL’s household and therefore see them socially.

I hope being allowed to see them socially helps OP![/quote]
I realise you’re only able to have 1 support bubble, but my understanding is that you can also have a separate childcare bubble, or have someone providing care for an adult in addition to a support bubble.

@MereDintofPandiculation I just want to clear up that I don’t want to socialise with anyone else , just MIL and her household but wasn’t sure if I could and therefore haven’t been