Flintshire households receive letters and online codes ahead of Census day on Sunday

With March 21 literally around the corner, the 2021 Census is in full swing in Flintshire.

Letters, with unique access codes, have all gone out to Flintshire households and responses are already coming in, the council has said.

A Census has been carried out every ten years since 1801, with the exception of 1941.

Answers to Census questions helps central government and organisations such as councils and health authorities, plan and fund public services.

Census outputs inform where billions of pounds of public funding is spent on services like transport, education and health – on cycle routes, schools and dental surgeries.

Charities and voluntary organisations often use Census data as evidence to get funding.

It helps businesses to understand their customers and, for example, decide where to open new shops.

Plus, those doing research, like university students and people looking into their family history, use census data.

It provides important information on population diversity, allowing organisations to know whether they are meeting their responsibilities and triggering action where necessary.

Census 2021 will be the first run predominantly online, with households receiving a letter with a unique access code, allowing them to complete the questionnaire on their computers, phones or tablets.

Census Day is coming! Households across the UK are currently receiving letters which include a unique 16-digit code to access the census online.

Criminals may try to use this as opportunity to send phishing emails or texts. Check out our advice below to stay safe ⬇️ #Census2021 pic.twitter.com/JxNdRW1hyM

— Action Fraud (@actionfrauduk) March 11, 2021

“A successful census will help give the best picture of the needs of everyone living in England and Wales,” Iain Bell, deputy national statistician at the Office for National Statistics, said.

“It helps us understand what our society needs now and what it will likely need in the future. We’ve had a fantastic response so far, with so many of you completing the questionnaire on your laptops, phones and computers.

“It takes just 10 minutes per person to take part and if you can’t get online, there are paper forms available for those who need them. Now is the time to make your mark on history.”

Operating in line with the Government’s latest Covid-19 guidance, field officers will be deployed across the country to contact those who have not responded.

They will offer help and advice to those who need it. They will also remind people that their census response is required by law.

This census is the most inclusive yet. Everyone can identify as they wish using search as you type online and write-in options on paper if they need it.

The questionnaire includes questions about your sex, age, work, health, education, household size and ethnicity.

And, for the first time, there will be a question asking people whether they have served in the armed forces, as well as voluntary questions for those aged 16 and over on sexual orientation and gender identity.

In Wales, households will also be asked a specific question about their Welsh language skills. And those who wish to complete the census in Welsh can do so both online and in paper form.

There are “Cymraeg” and “English” buttons to switch between languages at any time online, and on paper you can use Welsh and English on the same form.

Results will be available within 12 months, although personal records will be locked away for 100 years, kept safe for future generations.

To complete your census, or to find out how to get help, visit census.gov.uk or call 0800 169 2021.