Reminder letters sent out and field staff set to visit those yet to complete their Census

Field staff are staring to carry out visits to households who have yet to send off their Census.

Although Census Day took place on Sunday, March 21, but there are still some households who haven’t completed their form.

Second reminder letters have gone out this week and census field staff are visiting these households to follow up on this, in a safe way.

Field staff are classed as key workers, and as their role cannot be carried out by working from home, law allows them to carry out the duties of their role. But they do this in the safest way possible.

Census field staff are provided with Covid-19 lateral flow test kits and they test themselves regularly. They also continue to work within government guidelines, remaining socially distant and wearing appropriate PPE.

How will I know if a visit is genuine?

Census field officers will:

• carry an ID card with their photograph and name
• work through the day to make contact with residents, but will not call before 9am or after 8pm
• never ask for money or bank details
• never need to enter someone’s home

Any member of the public concerned that the person on their doorstep is not a census officer should call 0800 169 2021 or text 86677. Do not call a phone number given by the person who calls to check their ID.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has been made aware that there are a number of other scams around the census.

These are taking place through various methods, including text messages and email. If you receive anything claiming to come from the Census, it’s always worth remembering the following:

• The Census doesn’t ask for your national insurance number, passwords, bank account details, or your credit or debit card numbers
• The Census doesn’t require any form of payment from you
• You don’t receive any payment for completing the Census, so an offer of money in exchange for your account details will be fraudulent
• You won’t be called for information about the census unless you’ve made an appointment with the Census Contact Centre or made a query or complaint
• No-one will enter your home in relation to the census
• Help to fill out your form is free (for more information visit: https://census.gov.uk/ or phone 0800 169 2021)

If you think you may have been the victim of fraud or cyber-crime, you should report this to Action Fraud via their website or by calling 0300 123 2040.

Consumer advice can be obtained from the Citizens Advice Consumer Service. They can be contacted on 0808 223 1144 (Welsh) or 0808 223 1133 (English).