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Census 2021: any comments?

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S&CLER

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I've just received the invitation to complete the census and done it on line (very easy), as I know there won't be any changes here by 21 March. It struck me as a perfectly inoffensive document, and I had no objection to completing any of the questions. What do other forum members think? The only question I had any difficulty with was about the type of flat; I live in a flat over shops and a restaurant in a building which was originally two houses, so it was a little puzzling to choose the correct alternative answer for that one.
 
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Darandio

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I didn't even realise letters were already arriving, the helpline only went live last night!
 

swt_passenger

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Seems relatively early this year - I thought first week of April was more usual, has there been a reason why?
 

GusB

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I have either been living with parents or in shared households, so I've never actually completed a census before. This will be a first for me.
 

Darandio

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Seems relatively early this year - I thought first week of April was more usual, has there been a reason why?

I struggle to remember what I had for breakfast this morning never mind what month the census was a decade ago! :lol:
 

Gloster

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I also received mine today and it does seem more innocuous than what my failing brain recollects of previous ones. My only query is whether they would accept ‘European’ as an answer to how I would describe my national identity. Probably not. as it is not a nation.
 

peters

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I struggle to remember what I had for breakfast this morning never mind what month the census was a decade ago! :lol:

You might have a problem when you retire. There's always a question asking did you work on a said March date in the census year and if the answer is no then you have to give details of your most recent employment - job title, employer name, employer address, job sector. It doesn't matter if you're 87 and retired over 20 years ago, you still have to give your most recent employment!

The one thing I recall about the 2011 census is they didn't give a box to specify an 'other' religion option after a significant number of people wrote Jedi in 2001.
 

peters

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I also received mine today and it does seem more innocuous than what my failing brain recollects of previous ones. My only query is whether they would accept ‘European’ as an answer to how I would describe my national identity. Probably not. as it is not a nation.

It's an interesting question though.

10 years ago I was working for a company which had English, Welsh and Scottish people all working in the same building and I didn't feel the Welsh and Scottish people were foreigners.

Now, in addition to Brexit, the SNP led nationalism and the DUP working with Theresa May, I have both visited Northern Ireland and learned a lot more about it. I was shocked to discover it is still the case that Belfast residents who identify as British still celebrate being British by burning the Irish flag on Twelfth Night and even worse that these bonfire events get state funding. I have nothing in common with people who want to celebrate being British by being either anti-European or anti-British, so I am now less likely to say I'm British.
 

DarloRich

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I've just received the invitation to complete the census and done it on line (very easy), as I know there won't be any changes here by 21 March. It struck me as a perfectly inoffensive document, and I had no objection to completing any of the questions. What do other forum members think? The only question I had any difficulty with was about the type of flat; I live in a flat over shops and a restaurant in a building which was originally two houses, so it was a little puzzling to choose the correct alternative answer for that one.


No issues at all with the census. Took 10 minutes on line. However, I am sure the silly billys will kick up a fuss about some stupid conspiracy nonsense that Darren on facebook has uncovered.
 

Mcr Warrior

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How does anyone completing the census return now already, know for sure that there won't be any change(s) before Sunday 21st March 2021? Such as births, deaths, working away from home, etc. ?
 

DarloRich

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How does anyone completing the census return now already, know for sure that there won't be any change(s) before Sunday 21st March 2021? Such as births, deaths, working away from home, etc. ?

Well i aint planning on croaking.....................

( my estate can refresh the data using the 16 digit code in the letter addressed to the householder if they need to. I wont care tbh ;) )
 

NorthOxonian

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I also received mine today and it does seem more innocuous than what my failing brain recollects of previous ones. My only query is whether they would accept ‘European’ as an answer to how I would describe my national identity. Probably not. as it is not a nation.
They will accept anything as a national identity. It's about how you perceive yourself. I personally don't consider myself European, but if you do then you absolutely should write it in.

At the last census, they released detailed on English, Scottish, Welsh, Northern Irish, British, Cornish, and Irish identities (the last two were manually written in). If enough people declare their identity to be European then there will be detailed statistics for this too. Hopefully this will be interesting, since we'll get a sense of the distribution of those who see themselves as European.
 

102 fan

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It's an interesting question though.

10 years ago I was working for a company which had English, Welsh and Scottish people all working in the same building and I didn't feel the Welsh and Scottish people were foreigners.

Now, in addition to Brexit, the SNP led nationalism and the DUP working with Theresa May, I have both visited Northern Ireland and learned a lot more about it. I was shocked to discover it is still the case that Belfast residents who identify as British still celebrate being British by burning the Irish flag on Twelfth Night and even worse that these bonfire events get state funding. I have nothing in common with people who want to celebrate being British by being either anti-European or anti-British, so I am now less likely to say I'm British.

You are aware that Union flags are burnt on St Patrick's day? I don't judge the entire English population when they have civil unrest, please don't assume the entire NI population on what a small percentage do there.

You can call yourself whatever you want, but if your born in the UK, you are British, whether you like it or not.
 

Mcr Warrior

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Well i aint planning on croaking.....................
;)
Heaven forfend, but there must nevertheless be an element of potential miscalculation/double-counting possibly arising from completing census returns a couple of weeks in advance.
 

yorksrob

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I'm quite excited - it'll be my third. There were rumblings in the past that they were going to stop it due to cost, so I'm glad its continuing.

I hope I'm able to fill out a physical form as previously. I'm sick and tired of "on line".
 

peters

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You can call yourself whatever you want, but if your born in the UK, you are British, whether you like it or not.

Not necessarily. It also depends on your parent's nationality and status. Someone who is born to Syrian refugees in the UK does not automatically become a British citizen, while someone born to British parents abroad may not qualify for citizenship in the country they were born in but qualify for British citizenship. The rules are also tighter for those born in 1982 or later.

You are aware that Union flags are burnt on St Patrick's day? I don't judge the entire English population when they have civil unrest, please don't assume the entire NI population on what a small percentage do there.

I certainly don't judge all of Northern Ireland on what some people do. I know many people in Northern Ireland identify as Irish and hold Irish passports, so they certainly would not burn the Irish flag, some of these are the ones who are flying Irish flags outside their houses!

As I'm a mix of British and Irish I don't fit in with either the anti-Irish lot or the anti-British lot. While I can accept it's probably only a minority who burn flags, unfortunately the majority vote for either DUP or Sinn Fein in General Elections even though it seems few actually agree with most of the policies of either.

Anyway, I wasn't debating my nationality I was debating a census question on national identity. I've not seen the form this time but I've found the 2011 form via Google and the question was

How would you describe your national identity?
English
Welsh
Scottish
Northern Irish
British
Other

 

ta-toget

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This will only be my second census, and I recall being a rather excited child when the last one happened in 2011, as it was something different. I remember filling out my bit on the paper…

I was quite surprised to read that, as a university student, I have to fill in the census at both my home and term-time addresses. I am currently at home due to COVID-19, so I'll have to either request an individual access code or see if anyone is living in my flat and persuade them to give me a code…

For anyone wondering about the veracity of what I have written, you can find more information on the 2021 Census website. I'm still slightly confused about the situation myself, to be honest.

Scotland's census has been delayed by a year, which I would imagine would present certain comparability problems.

Heaven forfend, but there must nevertheless be an element of potential miscalculation/double-counting possibly arising from completing census returns a couple of weeks in advance.
I'd imagine there will be some double-counting, but I'm apparently supposed to fill it in twice anyway… There is also apparently the Census Coverage Survey (only certain postcodes are covered) six months later to check for people who are either missed off or counted more than once.

I'm quite excited - it'll be my third. There were rumblings in the past that they were going to stop it due to cost, so I'm glad its continuing.

I hope I'm able to fill out a physical form as previously. I'm sick and tired of "on line".
I think the Census is going to be "digital first" and I think you have to request a paper census online. There may be other ways to request one when you get the invitation letter, but I don't know as I haven't had one yet.

edit:

I was just looking through a bit more of the Census website, and on the page collection "Do I have to complete the census?", it says you could get a £1000.00 fine if you don't complete or return it. Then it says:

I can’t afford a £1,000 fine​

You can avoid getting a fine by completing the census.
 

MikeWh

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My only query is whether they would accept ‘European’ as an answer to how I would describe my national identity. Probably not. as it is not a nation.
European is absolutely fine. This is asking how you feel, there is a separate question about citizenship.
I'm quite excited - it'll be my third. There were rumblings in the past that they were going to stop it due to cost, so I'm glad its continuing.
The cost is extremely good value for money to get the information required to make decisions on services and infrastucture.
I hope I'm able to fill out a physical form as previously. I'm sick and tired of "on line".
As has been mentioned, filling it in online is encouraged. If you do so it will skip parts that are not relevant as you fill in the form. You also seemed concerned about cost, and filling it in online will definitely reduce the processing costs.
 

The_Train

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I've just received the invitation to complete the census and done it on line (very easy), as I know there won't be any changes here by 21 March. It struck me as a perfectly inoffensive document, and I had no objection to completing any of the questions. What do other forum members think? The only question I had any difficulty with was about the type of flat; I live in a flat over shops and a restaurant in a building which was originally two houses, so it was a little puzzling to choose the correct alternative answer for that one.
I'd suggest that "invitation" is probably an incorrect term. I've not had many invitations in my life where if I decline I am hit with a £1000 fine :lol:
 

High Dyke

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I'd suggest that "invitation" is probably an incorrect term. I've not had many invitations in my life where if I decline I am hit with a £1000 fine :lol:
Perhaps I shouldn't have opened the letter. It was addressed to Householder. There's no one of that name here...
 

DarloRich

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Heaven forfend, but there must nevertheless be an element of potential miscalculation/double-counting possibly arising from completing census returns a couple of weeks in advance.
they might send out a reminder asking you to confirm your data

I'd suggest that "invitation" is probably an incorrect term. I've not had many invitations in my life where if I decline I am hit with a £1000 fine :lol:

Perhaps I shouldn't have opened the letter. It was addressed to Householder. There's no one of that name here...
BTW - the census has been taken every 10 years in the UK since 1801. It isnt worth getting worked up about.
 

The_Train

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BTW - the census has been taken every 10 years in the UK since 1801. It isnt worth getting worked up about.
Who is getting "worked up" about it?
I was just pointing out to the OP that their choice of word is probably not the best
 

AlterEgo

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Genuinely perplexed by the “European” identity. What is it? Europe is a vastly diverse continent, with nations within it so unbelievably contrasting that I struggle to conceive what a European identity would encompass.

Are we saying it’s a western enlightenment identity centred on France, Germany and Italy? Or a pan-europeanism including the Muslim Bosniaks and Lappish peoples?

I’m interested to know what it is, really - I hear lots of people say they “feel European”, but that was in response to Britain’s departure from a trading bloc.
 
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