Census chiefs facing anger over failures to issue digital codes to households

Census chiefs facing mounting anger over failures to issue digital codes to allow households to complete national survey online

  • Mounting anger after digital codes for the Census, due today, failed to be issued 
  • Many yet to receive access code to fill out ten-yearly form, despite fine warnings 
  • Fury at 40min wait to speak to officials by phone and non-responsive online chat

Census chiefs are facing mounting anger over failures to issue digital codes to allow households to complete today’s national survey online.

Complaints have flooded social media from people yet to receive the 16-digit access code to fill out the ten-yearly form, despite warnings that anyone failing to complete it could be fined £1,000.

This year’s £900 million survey is ‘digital first’. Every household in England and Wales should have received a letter with a unique code to access the online census. 

Census chiefs are facing mounting anger over failures to issue digital codes to allow households to complete today’s national survey online

Paper forms can also be requested. But the stuttering rollout saw complaints flood Facebook and Twitter yesterday from people who had not received a code. 

Others who had requested the paper version said that it had still not arrived in the post.

There was also fury at 40-minute waits to get through to officials by phone, while a chat messaging service on the Census website did not appear to be responding to questions.

One man wrote on the Census Facebook page: ‘I called yesterday. On hold for 40 minutes. 

Complaints have flooded social media from people yet to receive the 16-digit access code to fill out the ten-yearly form, despite warnings that anyone failing to complete it could be fined u00A31,000

Complaints have flooded social media from people yet to receive the 16-digit access code to fill out the ten-yearly form, despite warnings that anyone failing to complete it could be fined £1,000

‘Issue discussed, should have been sent a text with access code on the same day. This has not been received. Now what?’

Another said: ‘No letter, no form, therefore no code for internet access, unable to get through and get sensible answers.’

A spokesman for the Census said the response had been ‘great’, adding: ‘Every household should have received their letter inviting them to take part in the digital first census. 

‘If you haven’t or have misplaced your letter, you can go online to www.census.gov.uk and request a new unique access code.’