'Support bubbles' are benefiting tens of thousands of people living alone in Aylesbury Vale

From midnight on June 13, single adult households in England have been able to form a “support bubble” with another household, in a move to make lockdown more bearable for those who live alone.

And was welcome news for the 25,200 people living on their own in Aylesbury Vale, who will now 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 would then be allowed to 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.

As of Sunday, children in single-parent households could see one set of grandparents, and a grandparent living alone would be 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 also be reunited, as long as they have both been living alone.

Announcing the new measures, 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."