ken_ichikawa Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 I dodged the last census from being out of the country for quite some time..... can I simply not fill it in? Since I don't intend to be out of the country at the end of the month, when the government threatens to break my legs for not filling it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Executive Sadman Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 I dodged the last census from being out of the country for quite some time..... can I simply not fill it in? Since I don't intend to be out of the country at the end of the month, when the government threatens to break my legs for not filling it in. Ive never done one before...whats with all these census interviewers theyre recruiting? Do they actually burst into your home and force you to answer their questions at gunpoint? I always figured they post you some papers, you post back, thats it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HPC001 Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 They're liable to send the police around (to enforce the up to £1000 non-compliance fine) if you ignore them long enough. Saying this as an employee of the ONS myself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_ichikawa Posted March 6, 2011 Author Share Posted March 6, 2011 They're liable to send the police around (to enforce the up to £1000 non-compliance fine) if you ignore them long enough. Saying this as an employee of the ONS myself. But will they seeing that the government are somewhat pish poor? As said not out of the country till the end of April now, sooner if I manage to get another job offer.... my current company is taking the pish asking me to do complicated things not in my contract and I should be paid a lot more for. :angry: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riedquat Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 I might be totally wrong here, but AIUI you're supposed to fill the census in where you are at a specific time, which may well not be your own home anyway. So presumably if you're nowhere a census has been sent to, e.g. camping up in the middle of nowhere, there's nothing to fill in. I was planning to wait to see what it actually says before working out the best way of avoiding this nosy, intrusive nonsense (what I'd really like to do is just post it back with "MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS" scrawled over it). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
athe Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 When does the census go out? I'm overseas at the moment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MC Fur Q Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 I dodged the last census from being out of the country for quite some time..... can I simply not fill it in? Since I don't intend to be out of the country at the end of the month, when the government threatens to break my legs for not filling it in. What have you got against the census? isn't it just a bunch of boring stats? (Just wondering, I'm not one of those people who backed Labours assault on civil liberties with the "if you've got nothing to hide..." argument) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porca misèria Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 I might be totally wrong here, but AIUI you're supposed to fill the census in where you are at a specific time, which may well not be your own home anyway. So presumably if you're nowhere a census has been sent to, e.g. camping up in the middle of nowhere, there's nothing to fill in. "In the back of beyond shagging two sheep and a choirboy" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Hovis Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 That's an interesting thought Ken. Were you required to prove that you were out of the country, or did you just say that you were? Maybe I'll be out of the country, or I might just put in a load of duff information like last time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cartimandua51 Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 This is a long tradition - IIRC lots of stalwart Victorians including the painter Turner tried very hard to avoid the first 1841 census by being on ships etc. The fact that you were away from home is not particularly relevant. I have mixed feelings - on the one hand I resent the intrusiveness, but on the other I have made really extensive use of earlier censuses while researching my family history. I have read that there next USA census may be the last - they will do it by extrapolation from other information (tax returns, Health & Social security, birth marriage & death records etc) and statistical sampling. Perhaps the UK will go the same way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dorkins Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 What have you got against the census? isn't it just a bunch of boring stats? (Just wondering, I'm not one of those people who backed Labours assault on civil liberties with the "if you've got nothing to hide..." argument) If they just want boring stats, why do they need my name? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riedquat Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 This is a long tradition - IIRC lots of stalwart Victorians including the painter Turner tried very hard to avoid the first 1841 census by being on ships etc. The fact that you were away from home is not particularly relevant. I suppose if it's a British ship it may have been covered. If it's a foreign one then probably not. I have mixed feelings - on the one hand I resent the intrusiveness, but on the other I have made really extensive use of earlier censuses while researching my family history. If it stuck to the basic questions and didn't try to get as much out of you as possible then I could agree with it, but it's just got too intrusive. If they really need most of the nonsense that they ask for then they need to do it via an anonymous survey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Injin Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 I can't believe you of all people ken are not volunteering to give all to the glorious State! Terrible! What is the world coming to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riedquat Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Has anyone who's received one yet looked at exactly what the requirements are, specifically as to where you're supposed to fill it in for? I.e. is my earlier understanding correct, that it's where you happen to be at a particular time, so if you're staying with friends or family you're expected to fill it in there, not the one posted to your address? So if you're not at any particular address at the time there's nothing to fill in? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_ichikawa Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 That's an interesting thought Ken. Were you required to prove that you were out of the country, or did you just say that you were? Maybe I'll be out of the country, or I might just put in a load of duff information like last time. Nah I really happened to be out of the country last time it was held..... and remember seeing on my return a census story about how half a million men had vanished out of the country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken_ichikawa Posted March 7, 2011 Author Share Posted March 7, 2011 What have you got against the census? isn't it just a bunch of boring stats? Because I don't see any point to it.... the government say ah it is so we can spend money more wisely and allocate the correct amount of money to services. Since I am not eligible for any services anyway I see it as a largely pointless exercise. The threat they have to include about breaking your legs if you don't proves that it is largely useless and nobody wants to fill it in, in an Injinesq kinda way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Sando Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 At the last census 1.5 million people didn't fill it in, total prosecutions 35. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cartimandua51 Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Has anyone who's received one yet looked at exactly what the requirements are, specifically as to where you're supposed to fill it in for? I.e. is my earlier understanding correct, that it's where you happen to be at a particular time, so if you're staying with friends or family you're expected to fill it in there, not the one posted to your address? So if you're not at any particular address at the time there's nothing to fill in? The Govt has covered most possibilities (travelling circuses have their own subsection in the guidelines!). Only rough sleepers seem to have them flummoxed: people sleeping rough - local government and homeless charities have helped to decide the best way to count rough sleepers http://help.census.gov.uk/england/help/help-and-information/Aboutthequestions/PropertiescoveredbytheCensus/Topics/Notlivinginahouseholdorcommunalestablishment_G0001A.html They can pick up a form at a day centre, but the notes are silent on what happens if they don't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruffneck Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 At the last census 1.5 million people didn't fill it in, total prosecutions 35. Going to be at least double this time , i say don't fill it in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ologhai Jones Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I wonder how much money would be made by the state if they said, you can pay £50 and not have to complete the census? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tonkers Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Perhaps we could just all go and sleep round at each others houses on the 27th Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caramba Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 Going to be at least double this time , i say don't fill it in. You will still be counted as they have a form for those who refuse to fill it in. They complete the form from enquiries made with neighbours etc to establish who and how many live at your address. They don't ned every bit of detail but most of it can be found. Most of the 35,000 Census team are local and may know you anyway at least to fill in some of the form. It's only after all this you get the knock on the door and formally cautioned and at this point most give in and fill it in. Anyway good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reck B Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 But will they seeing that the government are somewhat pish poor? As said not out of the country till the end of April now, sooner if I manage to get another job offer.... my current company is taking the pish asking me to do complicated things not in my contract and I should be paid a lot more for. :angry: Have they got you on that Mcflurry machine again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riedquat Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 You will still be counted as they have a form for those who refuse to fill it in. They complete the form from enquiries made with neighbours etc to establish who and how many live at your address. They don't ned every bit of detail but most of it can be found. Most of the 35,000 Census team are local and may know you anyway at least to fill in some of the form. It's only after all this you get the knock on the door and formally cautioned and at this point most give in and fill it in. Anyway good luck. I've no objection being counted towards various statistics, and would be completely willing to supply such information anonymously. Next idea - does it say exactly what you need to fill it in with, in terms of writing? Black pen or something similar, perhaps (otherwise yellow crayon would be a good choice), but anything about what characters to use? Does it say anything that stops you from using Greek or Japanese (or Braille?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caramba Posted March 8, 2011 Share Posted March 8, 2011 I've no objection being counted towards various statistics, and would be completely willing to supply such information anonymously. Next idea - does it say exactly what you need to fill it in with, in terms of writing? Black pen or something similar, perhaps (otherwise yellow crayon would be a good choice), but anything about what characters to use? Does it say anything that stops you from using Greek or Japanese (or Braille?) I have received my form to complete this morning and it says: You should use black or blue ink to answer There is also a leaflet with it, to explain in about 50 languages how you can get a form in another language. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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