Ignoring this 2021 Census form could cost you a £1,000 fine - as households are urged to fill it in

Ignoring this 2021 Census form could cost you a £1,000 fine - as households are urged to fill it in.

Households are being warned not to ignore the 2021 Census form when it arrives through their letterbox as they could be fined £1,000.

Letters are being sent to every property in England and Wales with a unique code for households to fill out their survey - only one person needs to fill the form in per home.

The survey can be either filled in via an online form or by postal survey and it must be completed BEFORE Census Day on March 21, 2021. If you don’t take part, you could be fined £1,000 as it’s a legal requirement for each household to fill out the census. And supplying incorrect information is also a criminal offence, so make sure your answers are accurate.

Anyone living in Scotland will have their census take place next year in 2022.

The census is a questionnaire about your household and its questions will cover topics such as who you live with, the type of property you live in, and your employment status - even if you are on the extended Furlough scheme (opens in new tab).

And unlike previous years, this years' questionnaire will feature an additional question, a spokesperson for Census 2021 said, 'Stand up and be counted. This year, for the first time ever we are asking whether you have served in the armed forces so we can inform charities and local authorities where to place valuable resources for our veterans.'

Any students who are not currently staying at their term-time address due to lockdown (opens in new tab) are advised to find out more on the Census 2021 website (opens in new tab) so they can register for a code to complete their form online instead.

Renters are advised that they will still need to complete the form for the property they live in, so keep an eye out for the form dropping on your doormat.

A spokesman for money.co.uk (opens in new tab) said, "The last thing anyone needs right now is a £1,000 fine landing on their doormat.

“I would urge everyone to ensure that they fill in and submit their census form within the deadline to avoid having to pay a penalty.

“It should only take 10 minutes a person, with another 10 to cover the ‘household’ section.”