2011 census form peek

[davidft]

Regarding this form.
George Orwell was a few years out 1981 make that 2011.
Welcome to Con,Dems Big Society.
How many rain forest's were cut down for the paper for this?

There's always one isn't there 

The 2011 census was fully planned under the last Government, including the questions to be asked and the length of the questionnaire.

There was talk of abandoning the census post the election last year but too much planning had been done and too much money spent or contracted that they decided it was better to carry on with it

[netgrrl79]

As I mentioned earlier in this thread...

[...]it was mentioned that one of the London boroughs had a very low return rate for the 2001 census, and it is now considered one of the most underprivileged and under-funded areas in the country.

Coincidence 

[millymcb]

That's a big form.  What will happen if people miss out some of the questions?  Will they get a visit?

If you fill in your form online, you should be fine. I think the software will make sure you answer all the relevant questions (unless, of course, you accidentally forget to enter all the details of a family member, including their name).

If you return your questionnaire by post, they eventually make their way back to the enumerators who have to check them. If you post back your form and miss out a question, a census enumerator (it will be me if you live in a certain district in NE Scotland) will come knocking at your door to politely ask you to fill in the missing information.

I checked this with my boss today ...and he said that the forms get scanned in, and if any boxes have been missed it gets highlighted and they get sent to a special central "checking missing questions" person, who has to go through and decide what to do with it.  If they think those questions need answering they contact the householder - but it won't be the local enumerator who does it.  Of course, that could be wrong.... it's taking a while to get to grips with all the ins and outs of the process

Milly

[Sloe Gin]

I used to spend a lot of time in Europe, and can't ever remember filling in a census form.  I definitely didn't do the last two anyway, so I must have been out of the UK.

So is this a first, having to fill in the form if you weren't at home on census day? 

[ScouseBoy]

Will some students be counted twice?    Once at their home address  and again in the university town.

If they are crashed out at a party, may they be counted a third time as a visitor.

[Nick29]

Sloe Gin - I think you are getting a little confused - census forms are delivered to households, not indviduals, and it is the duty a responsible adult living at that address to fill in the forms.  As far as I'm aware, it is not the responsibility of the owner of the property, unless they are living there on the census date.  If there is no-one living in the property on census night, then no forms have to be filled.

ScouseBoy - I'm sure that some people will be counted twice.  This happened on a regular basis on previous censuses, and I doubt whether this one will be any different.

[Sloe Gin]

Sloe Gin - I think you are getting a little confused - census forms are delivered to households, not indviduals, and it is the duty a responsible adult living at that address to fill in the forms.  As far as I'm aware, it is not the responsibility of the owner of the property, unless they are living there on the census date. 

No, I understand all that.  Perhaps I should have said

"Is this a first, having to supply your details if you weren't at home on census day?" 

If there is no-one living in the property on census night, then no forms have to be filled.

That's not how I read it.  It asks who normally lives in the property, and asks for the details of any such people even if they are away from the address.

Put it this way, if we all clear off to Dublin for a long weekend, and leave the house empty, will we still have to fill in the form and give our details?  I think we do.

[millymcb]

Yes - you fill in the form as soon as you get back to say that is where you NORMALLY live. Fill the form in completely for all normal residents of the household.
 
You will also have been included as a visitor at the place where you were staying.   

I don't remember this being done in the last census so I think it may be the first time we are counted twice. It is an improvement (family history-wise) as future generations won't be left wondering where Dad was on census night

One odd thing is the case of boarding school children who, if they are at school, fill the form in themselves as part of a communal establishment even though really their normal address is at home with their parents.

Milly

[groom]

So really this census wont be a snap shot of where everyone was on the night of the 27th March, but will record where you were when you decide to complete it, which could be 3 weeks before census night. I can still see some people being recorded two or three times at different places - great fun for genealogists in a hundred years time.