General Chat

You are quite right Janet, whilst some of this information can be obtained from other sources, the census brings it all together in one place. The ONS is looking at how to do this next time round, but at the moment, it just isn't possible, hence we need the census, whether you agree with it or not.

The 2011 census will be used as the main tool to plan for this country for the next ten years. So, if you don't co-operate, you, your family, your neighbours all loose out. Whether you agree with it or otherwise, you can't change that, is the simple fact of the way it currently works.

Completing your return on-line is perfectly secure. In fact it is probably slightly more secure than posting your return.

The code on your return is linked to your address. This is how the tracking system will know which households have completed their return.

When you complete on line you enter the access code on the front of your return which then gives you access to the secure site allowing you to enter your details. The actual form can then be destroyed by shredding the front page and re-cycling the remainder.

If you post your return then it will be scanned into the system and will end up on the same database as if you had completed it on-line. Once scanned and checked, paper returns will be destroyed and pulped.

Eddieisagrandad. Of course they know all the answers just as they did a hundred years ago. No doubt each church knew their members. Each registry office knew the names of the people and how long some had been married and how many children they had or had not survived. Each workplace would have known their employees. What a census does is bring that all together. I have a great uncle who in 1911 knocked off 5 years of his age. Whilst I don't know the guy it gives me an insight into his outlook on life, which as an honest person I don't like. It may have just been done in a fit of pique to deliberately give false information. But I would say he didn't do himself any favours. Think carefully about the message you will give your descendants. What might seem nonsense now, may colour someone's image of you, that in hindsight you may not wish to give--jl

There is absolutely no need or reason for this questionaire. So far as I can see there is not one relevant question that cannot be answered by alternative sources.
The "powers that be" already know who you are, what you are and, by following your card transactions, exactly where you are not only in ones own country but worldwide.
They know who is a scholar, student and how many "A" levels you have.
They know who is disabled or unwell.
They know who you work for.
DVLA know exactly who owns what vehicle.
They can tell from your fuel usage what heating you probably have.
Big Brother already knows more about you than you could imagine and they will gain no relevant new information from this questionaire.
It is an utterly pointless and huge waste of public money.

I'm somewhat confused.
On the one hand, they're advertising this census as away of planning for services over the next 10 years, yet saying it may be the last one!
So they'll never need to plan for services after 2011?

I also received a few months ago, similar questions in an 'anonymous' questionnaire from the council.
However, I noticed a number on the address label,and the same number on the questionnaire, so didn't fill it in. Surprise surprise, I then received a postcard asking me to fill in the questionnaire!!
It was so 'anonymous' they knew I hadn't filled it in!!

I certainly won't be fillling it in on line - far too easy for it to be 'hacked' or released early. I have nothing to hide, it's a matter of principal. Nothing done online is private.

Thanks for that Sue. So very very glad I don't have a large family lol
Just waiting for mine to come in so I can complete it online, hopefully

Well i have just done mine it is only 32 pages long if you have a large family because you are asked questions about the indivituals...

I'm still waiting to get mine, but crikey, if it's 32 pages, I'll need to get a Philidephian lawyer to fill it in for me.

Does this census include all the asylum seekers?

It dosnt say where you were born only the country?? It won't be any good for us researchers will it, I would rather know where they were born than what heating they had???

It is in your own interest to fill in the form as accurately as you can as one of the main use of the census is to plan for services over the next ten years. Planning for health, education, transport, social services, local council grants, employment opportunities, supermarkets, etc are all based on information taken by the census.

If you choose to enter nonsense or inaccuracies, then quite frankly you are doing yourself your neighbours or your family no favours at all. You are shooting your own foot in effect.

Yes, some of the questions are not always relevant, for example if you have retired and not worked for 20 year, say. In that case, why not enter the approx year when you did last work and leave the remaining employment details blank?

Incidentally if you do not fill in the form or return it blank, then you will get a visit asking why and offering help and assistance to complete the form. If you still refuse point blank to fill in the form, you will be reported to the non-compliance team who will likely make further visits to consider if there is a case for prosecution.

Finally, why not complete it over the internet? Many people will find this much easier and quicker. The website also has help and support for those who may be having difficulties.

I work in a homeless hostel and thank goodness we are having someone coming to fill our one in.We have 12 bedrooms with families.It would take forever to fill in
Annie

Like Sue on the top of this page i am thinking the same thing...and i wish my family would've been able to put more detail into the older census forms. I'm putting my grandchildren down as visitors for 27th March lol just so in 100 years my future grt grt grandkids can marry us all up.
Also i've put my daughters Fiance down as a visitor as he is from Scotland so again they will be able to marry together my daughter (we are in england) to her soon to be Scottish husband. Eddie ask for another form and redo it for your future grt grt gran kids.....no one can see the info for 100 years so you may as well fill it in and it's only for statstical data.

Rosina who loves stalking her dead Ancestors lol

Don't find the questions intrusive at all Eddie. Probably better not to filll it in rather than sabotage it.

I noted that question Shirley about are you working/available for work. Should have been a box for retired there. May be something to do with the people of retirement age who want to carry on working.

I'm lucky only got to fill it in for 2 and I will do it online.

Vera

It's not exactly rocket science and is pretty easy to fill in. As mentioned on another thread, the data is collated to assess age profiles, working patterns, transport etc. and possible future demands on the welfare state.

Eddie but you would probably complain if your ancestors had done the same thing. Not had ours yet.

We are both retired but it wants to know if not working did we look for work the previous 4 weeks.if work had come up would we have taken it etc before asking our employment status which is retired Then it wants to know when last worked and employers info etc which to me is irrelevant as we both retired 13 years ago.

Very intrusive. I've filled mine with all sorts of nonsense and inaccuracies.

I am just sat here going through this 32 page long census form, thinking that in 100 years my descendants will be looking at what I have put.
There are so many questions on this form I really can't see that people will know what to do let alone be bothered with it, why do they want to know so much about how we live? Well at least our family will have a good idea as to how we lived, wished we had had more info on the other census's though, it might of solved a few more questions that we all want to know today.
What do you all think about the form?
Sue