Wazzups with this census questionnaire?

Pawnless Endgame · 19 Mar 2011 at 21:59

It popped through my letter box last week. Apparently everyone have had one and the gov't does it every 10 years (although I thought it was the CoE that did it?)

H1. Who lives in this house? Fair do's - the form is populating how many people who lives in my town and wider Britain.

H4. Who is staying in my house on precisely 27th March 2011? What the hell man. I put the answer as no-one, but what happens if I miraculously pull a 1-night stand? If I did pull the 1-night stand, or I had a relative/mate who had to stay at mine at short notice, I have now lied on the form, haven't I? And this is a form that is apparently meant to be followed and completed accurately by law.

H7. Type of house? Again, fair do's if they're collecting stats.

H9 & H10. How many rooms? How many bedrooms? Erm.. this isn't a council tax questionnaire. I am band A, thank you very much :-)

But again fair do's if they don't have access to banding info, although I know a few web sites that can look it up.

1. It asks for my name again (person 1 on page 3 / H3).

5. Do I stay at another address for more than 30 days a year? I guess I go back to my parents a few weekends every year but why do they wanna know that?

13. My health? Very good / good / fair / bad / very bad? This is getting ridiculous.

20. What is your religion? This question is voluntary. Yay, we're privileged :-D

23. Are your day-to-day activities limited because of health / disability? Disability living allowance anyone?

26-42. Info about my job. Ok for those who are working. The question is probably targeted at those who are not earning, sussing out drug dealers / NI and tax income evasion etc. Perhaps just ask for the NI number, as I think it does hold some details and will answer quite a few of the aforementioned questions. Same with persons 2, 3 and so on.

Do I get a prize for the 20 minutes of my life I'll never get back? :-P

Seriously though, does anyone else think that this form is a bit OTT?

JBuk · 19 Mar 2011 at 22:00

Just fill it in, post and forget about it, it's hardly taxing tbh

meghatronic · 19 Mar 2011 at 22:01

Goberpiles316 · 19 Mar 2011 at 22:02

SilverTongue · 19 Mar 2011 at 22:02

bitslice · 19 Mar 2011 at 22:05

Better not forget to ask her name then

It's the split personality check, you may have changed personalities mid-way

Al Vallario · 19 Mar 2011 at 22:06

A number of your criticisms seem to be on the grounds that other government departments should already hold certain pieces of information being requested; you realise it's a good thing that information collection is compartmentalised like this, and government departments don't share your information willy-nilly amongst themselves?

The_Police! · 19 Mar 2011 at 22:06

That's a good point.

memyselfandi · 19 Mar 2011 at 22:09

Fill it in online ... easier than screwing around with the paper form as it auto-skips stuff for you. Took ~10mins. Don't really see the big fuss some people make over it.

mithrandir · 19 Mar 2011 at 22:09

lol, advice as above.

Yup every 10 years and is compulsory you fill it in. Failure results in a hefty fine.

Freelanc3r · 19 Mar 2011 at 23:02

ShakenNstirred · 19 Mar 2011 at 23:09

laughed at the question that says
"this question has intensionally been left blank " lol

Theguy · 19 Mar 2011 at 23:10

Its for people who live in Wales, - they had a question in that bit.
(it asked if they spoke the Welsh language)

Pawnless Endgame · 19 Mar 2011 at 23:19

Yeah I did it online in the end, easier for me to see, as I can't read small print.

For some reason I didn't get the 2001 census form, so this was my first.

Spyhop · 19 Mar 2011 at 23:24

Mine arrived in an unsealed envelope with the contents hanging out. Not sure if some are missing. Maybe I should return the level of effort!

[FnG]magnolia · 19 Mar 2011 at 23:39

Why? It was, depending on your location.

vicisthebest · 19 Mar 2011 at 23:44

If you're not sure whether someone might be staying at your house on 27th, then do it on the 27th, like it tells you to.

They were sent out early but on the front of the census it tells you to complete it on 27th March.

Aod · 19 Mar 2011 at 23:57

you should have received three items, the Questionnaire itself, a return-envelope to send it back in and a little letter stating that alternate-language questions are available online. (i think that's all mine had in it)

i got mine like three weeks ago and i've already filled it in. planning on popping it in the postbox tomorrow...

Spyhop · 20 Mar 2011 at 00:05

Cheers. All present and correct then.

Feek · 20 Mar 2011 at 00:30

How can you have filled it in already when it specifically asks for you to do it on the 27th?

That's not aimed at anyone specific, it's a generic question.