Having the Census drop through your door might seem like a small thing but if your literacy skills are very poor or you cannot access the internet it can seem very daunting indeed! The worry of a £1000 fine if not filled in can be very frightening.
Lots of our folk have asked for support and we have been able to step in and do these with them, either on-line or with paper copies. Many didn’t seem to be registered and hadn’t received a letter at all and we had to apply for one for them. It was a reminder to me of their isolation, as they are even off the official radar.
The forms were tricky to fill in as some people had jobs in the past but couldn’t remember what it was! Others were concerned and suspicious about the sort of information being asked for. Conspiracy theories bounce around social-media and they confuse and misinform and make folk nervous about giving any personal information. Most though were happy to plough through the questions with us!
It’s certainly caused a lot of extra work for the Core Team but also a lovely opportunity to spend precious time together, chatting and even having a bit of a laugh at some of the questions.
We have had some success stories too; one lady expressing that it’s the first form she’s ever managed to complete alone!
We are always thankful to be there for our lovely ladies and gents with whatever problem they are facing, so completing dozens of census forms was just another day!!
Cath