census 2011 - agree or disagree?

It is intrusive, old fashioned and expensive... and if you believe half of the information on there, my ex was a Jedi Knight!

I'm not really sure, in this age of digital information, what exactly they will learn from this that warrants spending so much money on it!

i coudlnt have put it better myself Mrs!

I agree and disagree with it. But it's got to be more relevant than the £3million they were spending on a happiness survey!! That was a waste of time and money.

First off, it's not about how he spends his money, it's about how government money is spent on him and secondly, does he really think the government can't requisition his bank details without him knowing if they were that interested? I think the census is an incredibly useful thing and frankly if you're going to hold out on filling it in then you have no right to whinge when you think group X is getting too much government funding or when something that would affect you is cut. As for the jedi argument, there are tolerances for daft answers built in when they're processing the data.

The information gathered is used for loads of things - from targetting resources (e.g. in a mainly affluent area do you really think public funds are best spent setting up a facility for underprivileged children?) to determining migration levels within the populace - if there's been a massive transition from industrial centres to more rural areas in the last 11 years do you not think any government with it's finger on the pulse should a) know about it and b) be asking why? Because I'll bet that if a journalist asked and the politicians didn't have a clue what they were on about everyone would be whinging about how MPs know nothing.

I'll put my soapbox away now.

Ours landed on the doormat this morning. Whilst it's a bit of a hassle to have to fill it out, I haven't seen anything that asks me how I spend my money. I definitely haven't seen an option that says 'shoes, meals out and general crap'.

I know it's not the attitude to have but I suspect they rarely issue a fine. They might send you reminders but I suspect a fair few probably get 'lost in the post'...

I agree it's a bit of a hassle but I'm also going to have to agree with what CG said. At least we don't have to do it every year.

On the flip side of this I'd rather not share as there are family members I'd rather not have knowing where I live/lived (because they're nut jobs and Jeremy Kyle candidates) - even if they don't disclose these kind of details for years I just don't like the big brother state of this country anymore!

It's a bit of a novelty for me, I remember the last one when I was about 14 and still living at home..

Shall be doing mine online, can't be faffed with those things you call pens.

*exactly* what she said. good post. how on earth can the government plan the expenditure of public funds if it doesn't know who its population is?

however my H thinks its all a big waste of time. he wants me to put he is a jedi too, what a loser. <shrug>

I don't know about the fines, but you will definately get a knock on The door from an official if you don't complete it. I saw the job adverts for the roles!

I made a start on mine this morning. It doesn't bother me. I'll fill in the rest once bubba's here as we'll be a 3 person household by the time the form officially needs to be filled in on March 27th!

We so need a 'Like' button in this place!

To be honest, I Dont see the point in completing it incorrectly as if everyone in your area did that, then you only have yourselves to blame if they put plans in place to build a Jedi School!

Apparently, nearly 400,000 people put their religion as Jedi in the last census......

Regarding the fines, I remember reading that there were only about 40-50 people actually fined last time for not completing it

I filled in my form last night - took about 5 minutes!

What Cookie Galore said. With knobs on.

I heard some pretty ridiculous comments from Nick Ferrari yesterday, particularly about the housing questions. 'I have a house, so why do you need to ask?' erm, because you might have 8 people living in a one bedroom - housing, healthcare, schooling etc all need looking at then.

We are all very quick to moan when there are no school places, or can't get an appointment with the doctor for two weeks. Whilst I appreciate that there is not the money to build new schools and hire an adequate amount of doctors etc, but a better understanding of who is where might, just might, allow a better appropriation of the what monies there are.

And I quite like the idea of popping up on census search a hundred + years down the line.

Our census hasnt arrived yet....

Nor ours - I think us jocks might be getting ours a bit slower than everyone else!

How many of you plonkers have completed and/or returned this?

It is to be completed ON the 27th March or as soon after as possible! It needs to be time bound to increase the accuracy of the data. That's why is asks about overnight guests on that date.

I think they should fine the people who have sent it back, a plonker tax, if you will!

<---- is a plonker (but you knew that, didn't you?)

He he @ Spangles!

I know so many people who've already sent it back and it's just made me laugh as it makes it clear on the front page!

I fine you one cake. Let that be a lesson to you! ?

I shall provide said cake if you revoke the plonker comment! (No matter how true it is).

From the website:

The answers you give should be about the people living or staying with you on that day, even if you fill in your questionnaire before, on, or after 27 March 2011. You will need to complete it online, or fill in the paper questionnaire and send it back as soon as you have completed it.

You can submit it online now so if you can't do it before why would they have that option available? As long as the data is about that day then you can do it before.

I just realised I put the wrong job title. D'oh. Right employer, but forgot changing jobs next week. I seriously am thick.

Hmmm, a tough one.

Seriously though, I wonder how much data is disregarded either because it's sent too early or is incomplete or illegible? Probably less than is not captured at all because people don't return them.

Also, I can understand the want/need to complete it when you receive it (it means you won't forget or lose it) and so people chose to ignore the instructions, but I wonder how many people just don't read that stuff before they start filling it in.

Just musings, really.

How do you know what some of the data will be though? However unlikely there is a possibility that between now and the 27th of March a mate's flat will spring a leak and they end up staying with you for a couple of days while it's sorted. Or god forbid something happens to someone living in your house that means they are in hospital or worse. I understand that you could provisionally complete it with a view to confirming that all of the data remains correct as at the 27th and sending it off then but you can't know and therefore submit the information in advance.

Can i say on the 27th march we wont be in therefore wont be able to complete the form???

My hard copy says on or after, Rae, but I completely agree that they shouldn't have the option to do it now if it's not what they want.

What I don't understand though is if 27th March is the 'key date' for knowing whereabouts, how it can be filled in before hand? I'm pretty sure we won't have guests that night or that I won't be elsewhere but what if someone in my family is ill and I have to go to them or a friend is stranded in London and I have to put them up? Unlikely but you can't say it won't happen.

Sorry, didn't see yours, CG, but I agree.

There's a section about you not being there on the date on the form, teehee.

Phew thats ok then. We might be out in a galaxy far, far away.....

The website FAQ's say you should send it in as soon as you complete it. I filled it in, I sent it back. If my employment were to end between now and then (unlikely) then they would be my previous employer still as there's no way I'd find and start a new job in the two weeks now due to personal circumstances. I will still be married to the same person, have the same name and date of birth, and be living at the same place. Yes, there is the chance that the worst could happen to either of us but if that is the case then the last thing I will be thinking about is the census quite frankly. If someone is in temp hospital then you still need to include them on the form anyway. Chances of a friend staying with us on that date are as close to zero as they could get.

But hey, what do I know. I'm a plonker apparently.

Easy tiger! I didn't realise plonker would be such an offensive term! I'm sorry that I've upset you. It wasn't my intention.

I've completed it but if we do have unexpected guests, then I will just add them to it... Not sent it back yet. You can complete it before the 27th March but you must complete it as it will be on 27th March. And if by some strange reason something changes drastically between now and then, I can just log on to the website and do it that way...

As per the Census website...
As soon as you receive your paper questionnaire, you will be able to complete the online questionnaire. Please remember that your completed questionnaire should accurately describe your household and visitors on census night, Sunday 27 March.