This Year's Census

[Paulc]

Given the current situation with Corona, do you think we should cancel this years Census or still go ahead? Scotland have already announced that they are postponing there's anyway. Given the Government have already stated that this might be the last census anyway, is the right thing to postpone this years Census until next year???

[Gardengirl]

My gut reaction is that it should go ahead and will serve as a reflection of how life is during a worldwide pandemic. what would be gained by postponing it?

[cbcarolyn]

As it was supposed to be on line - I would have thought that they could do something, I suppose that are not keen on people pounding the streets to make sure they have every property, and potentially knocking on doors?

Maybe it doesn't matter if they don't get every address? They must have the technology to have every address receive a letter these days. I have just had a letter for ONS for a survey and gave me a £15 gift voucher for doing it. They could do that - and not employ anyone to do the streets, they could probably afford to give a bigger voucher if just posted and done on line.

They could still list every address in the database, and note the nil returns.

If it gets postponed I assume it will get cancelled later?

[Glen in Tinsel Knickers]

I'd be interested to know how the uptake was in the last census undertaken ad see it compared to those registered to vote. Thinking back to the EU Referendum and the last couple of GE's where social media was full of "I've been denied a vote" from groups targeting the folk who threw their registration forms away makes me suspicious of the responses to a census nowadays anyway.

Given recent examples of tech involving UK government then I don't feel it's the answer, far too easy for scammers to duplicate an official looking page via an email link for a start. Ministers seem to think every person has access to the internet and knows how to use it but forget that there are huge numbers who don't have an online presence or the official systems (eg track and trace), are not designed for even relatively recent hardware.

[Janet in Yorkshire]

I'd be interested to know how the uptake was in the last census undertaken ad see it compared to those registered to vote. Thinking back to the EU Referendum and the last couple of GE's where social media was full of "I've been denied a vote" from groups targeting the folk who threw their registration forms away makes me suspicious of the responses to a census nowadays anyway.

Given recent examples of tech involving UK government then I don't feel it's the answer, far too easy for scammers to duplicate an official looking page via an email link for a start. Ministers seem to think every person has access to the internet and knows how to use it but forget that there are huge numbers who don't have an online presence or the official systems (eg track and trace), are not designed for even relatively recent hardware.

Totally agree, Glen. I know of a few households where either there is NO internet connection, OR the actual householder would be unable to complete the form electronically. Also there are still people who do not want to conduct their business online.

Anyone know what provision is to be made for homeless people? I personally think that it is important that the demographics of this group is included - IMO, an important aspect of our current society and future social history.

[Glen in Tinsel Knickers]

I can imagine there's several billion allocated to devising an app that only works on the latest generation phones so many of those on the street will be invisible as will a number in overnight shelters. To a point they know how many people there are and even the circumstances they are in but society now is a numbers game. It seems recent months have shown up the flaws in the calculations used for optimum value and the lack of investment in years gone by. I'm going off topic now but it's clear the acceptable ratios of ICU beds and police officers per head of population is hardly adequate for normal times and now we are seeing the results.

If any census was important for planning future needs it's the 2021 census, medicine is picking up more and more conditions. It's extending lives but many live with a need for care and assistance. World events are pushing more into financial problems but we see hundreds of thousands with enough available cash to pay two or three times the normal rate to fly back before a quarantine deadline. They moan on social media but they managed to find a few hundred quid at a time when food bank use is higher than ever before. The census won't stop it happening but right now the existing data is out the window, either through neglect or choice the powers that be have no idea of how ordinary people are placed in terms of housing, work and earnings. A system reboot is needed and the playing field we have now has to be redefined.

As the Englishman in Scotland I've got to applaud the Scottish decision to delay the census by a year, let's hope the dust will settle re Covid and some useful data is collected and used properly. The long term health issues of Covid on individuals is an unknown but a year from now it will be a little clearer.


*climbs off soapbox

[gloryer]

I thought the councils were responsible for housing the homeless during the pandemic and were put into hotels. So surely if a census was done now the hotel owner would have to put all those staying overnight in his hotel onto the census so that would not give a true picture. However last week when I went shopping I saw 4 tents where the homeless are sleeping overnight so obviously not all of them are in temporary accommodation

[cbcarolyn]

they are advertising again with jobs

https://www.censusjobs.co.uk/

[Glen in Tinsel Knickers]

I thought the councils were responsible for housing the homeless during the pandemic and were put into hotels. So surely if a census was done now the hotel owner would have to put all those staying overnight in his hotel onto the census so that would not give a true picture. However last week when I went shopping I saw 4 tents where the homeless are sleeping overnight so obviously not all of them are in temporary accommodation

They have a duty in non Covid times but either way there are rough sleepers out there every night. Been there, done it, shivered in the t shirt and one excuse given was lack of resources, I can't see that being different now with the redeployment that's allegedly happened. Though in my area the daily round of street bin vans never seemed to change, boy do those guys sit around for hours in view of everyone.

[gloryer]

They have a duty in non Covid times but either way there are rough sleepers out there every night. Been there, done it, shivered in the t shirt and one excuse given was lack of resources, I can't see that being different now with the redeployment that's allegedly happened. Though in my area the daily round of street bin vans never seemed to change, boy do those guys sit around for hours in view of everyone.

during the first lockdown the ones near us were housed in a hotel on the outskirts of town. There were reports about the damage caused

[Glen in Tinsel Knickers]

I'm heading off topic now but the hotel/b&b scenario is little more than a publicity stunt. A room key is not support to someone. It's a headline using the humanitarian angle and nothing more. Read between the lines and it;s nothing more than a "Twenty five homeless off the streets. We have done well and justified our efforts" statement. A lack of housing is usually just one issue someone faces, mental health, drug use, disability and vulnerable/abusive relationships are common and simply putting someone in a fixed place amongst others with the same issues isn't the answer.


I was bunged into a b&b at one point and told that someone would visit to assess my needs. After three days I was ready to rip the place apart. I arrived with nothing more than the clothes on my back, no money and nothing to do. After 5 days with no visit and the weekend looming up I snapped and went back to the car. I made it as a tick on a set of local authority figures but finished up sectioned under the mental health act and placed in a secure unit for a month.

It's the same in the press with benefit claimants, comments to articles labelling claimants as scroungers getting enough to have the latest mobile phone and such. Oh how some have changed their tune when they have had to claim and can't live on £70 a week, but they have a fancy phone so they must be getting a fortune. The latest batch getting Uni Credit as a result of Covid are in for a real shock when things go back to pre Covid operations, the hoops to jump through two days before payment authorisation will send them crazy, they really don't have a clue right now but the years of headlines make it seem a life or lazy luxury. .