New census 2021 form

[susieroe]

I've now sent for a paper form. Old-fashioned maybe, but I want to stay traditional! And I want to see all the questions first rather than commit myself with the code online; I want to fill in my personal answers to certain questions as I suspect I might not like what they want some of the answers to be (tick-boxes) !

[Maiden Stone]

I'm with susieroe on all counts.

[Copper1]

Include me in too - requested paper form on Tuesday last. I have seen that someone has revealed it is 30 pages long, hope that's not because some of us of the more mature generation will find it difficult to fathom why people in the 21st Century have ambiguities about their gender at birth.
I see that on the updated 1921 website- https://www.1921census.org.uk/ it still doesn't reveal what FindMyPast are going to charge for downloading census information. Is this delay to avoid a lengthy debate in what might be seen as OTT ?

[jonwarrn]

I want to see all the questions first rather than commit myself with the code online

If it's not been mentioned already, you can download the forms for England and Wales to look at (without having to fill them in!)
Census 2021 paper questionnaires
https://www.ons.gov.uk/census/censustransformationprogramme/questiondevelopment/census2021paperquestionnaires

[Roobarb]

I have to admit I hadn't even thought about it being census year until I saw this thread, I haven't had any sort of communication related to the census. Having looked at the link supplied to the form I must say there will be quite a number of questions I won't be answering, I'm shocked about how many personal questions there are that are not labelled as voluntary to answer, things such as physical or mental health conditions. It all seems horribly Big Brother to me and if the electronic version doesn't allow you to skip questions then I'll be asking for a paper one. I'm really shocked at this intrusion into our privacy.

[Nic.]

I’ve looked at the a copy of census and now as a household we’ve decided we will be filling in a paper copy.  I filled the 2011 in online but 2021 appears to be asking questions which seem to apply more to government policies.

Nic

[ReadyDale]

Excuse me if I'm not being observant enough, but can someone point me to where it says that you won't get a physical form unless you contact them, please?
Through this thread, that was my understanding, but in conversation with my Dad, he insisted he will get a paper form and I have to say, I cannot see where I can show him otherwise. We have both received the card and letter with the code.
His argument is that it keeps saying about "completing the form" which to his generation is a paper thing and I can't show him otherwise.
Probably just that I can't see the wood from the trees, but...

[Old Mother Reilly]

Our house received the form in the post - didn't have to make a special request.  (I'm in Lincolnshire.) 

The paper form is 32 pages long because it repeats the questions for individual household members 5 times and also has a page for any visitors to fill in basic information.  There are 50 questions per household member: personal (similar to those routinely asked when accessing NHS treatment); educational history, and employment.  As far as I can see the questions address traditional areas of concern (such as housing and transport requirements) and areas that have come to the fore more recently (eg gender allignment and mental health).  The more "prying" questions are included in order to establish what the current requirements of the population are in order to plan as adequately as possible for the needs of the population over the next 10 years.  It is necessary to ask about mental health (for example) so that the current government (and administrations to follow) can try to fund services appropriately.  Although I have no more reason to trust "Them" than the next person, it should benefit me to be honest in my answers - if I am not, I cannot complain if services I require are not provided in my area.

[Nic.]

If you look at the letter you’ve received it has a code on it.  This is what you’re use to complete the online form. 

But the last line on this letter says ‘you can request a paper form at Www.census.gov.uk or call 0800 141 2021’

Nic