Exclusive: Census workers appalled at being asked to repeatedly 'harass' innocent elderly people

Census workers have claimed that they are appalled at being asked to repeatedly “harass” innocent elderly people who have completed the survey leaving them “terrified” of a £1,000 fine.

The Telegraph previously revealed Census chiefs were warned for weeks that the IT system, used for tracking incomplete surveys, was “inefficient” and field workers were being continually sent to households which have already submitted the questionnaire.

Whistleblowers have said that, despite raising this with managers, who have flagged the issue during weekly meetings with the ONS, “nothing” has been done to rectify the issue.

More field workers have now come forward to reveal they feel they are “harassing” elderly and vulnerable people, who have submitted their surveys, and causing them distress.

Watch: What are SPACs?

One worker in Northampton told The Telegraph there is a “huge number” of elderly people who filled in the paper form and sent it back before March 21, but are receiving threatening letters and being visited by Census workers.

Failure to complete the Census will result in a non-compliance officer contacting the household and if prosecuted they face a fine of up to £1,000 plus court costs, according to the Census website.

“They're worried, they phone up the office, the office tells them ‘Oh, don't worry, it's all sorted’. A few days later, they get another letter saying, ‘Do your Census or you’ll be fined £1,000’, so they phone the office again and then a few days later I turn up on the doorstep,” the field worker said.

“They're absolutely terrified because they're thinking the office hasn’t got their Census and they're going to be fined.”

The whistleblower added: “I feel as if we're harassing these people." He said that sometimes when he receives notifications to go back to addresses he has repeatedly visited, he ignores them for a couple of days.

But he added when he’s moved onto another area, it is likely a different worker will come in and knock the address again.

“Some of these people are genuinely concerned about the fact that Census hasn't arrived or what's going on… And I can't give them an answer for that,” he said.

One elderly woman in Wales told another Census officer she was “being harassed” because so many officers had knocked on her door despite already completing the survey.

“It's difficult for vulnerable people when someone keeps knocking on the door,” the field worker said. “And there's this looming threat of the £1,000 fine which is really scary to some people.”

Other field workers told The Telegraph they have returned to some elderly people’s addresses at least three times, despite being told they’ve returned their form.

“They're getting really stressed and upset because they think they're going to get into trouble about it,” the worker from Chester said.

The ONS said they investigated concerns raised by employees and found “there are no IT issues”.

An ONS spokesperson said it was “vital” everyone is counted, adding: “We have systems in place to minimise multiple visits or letters but we are aware that in a small number of cases people have been contacted after responding.

“The role of field officers is to help and encourage people to take part in the census. We are absolutely clear that only those people who actively refuse to take part in the census and say they have no intention of doing so will face prosecution.”

MPs told The Telegraph the ONS should “look at their own systems” before blaming the public.

Damien Green MP, chair of the APPG on Longevity - set up to address issues relating to the UK’s ageing population - said the reports of elderly people being harassed were “disturbing”.

“You would hope that the Census organisation would have the sensitivity to realise that if they speak to people who say they’ve filled it in then accept that there may be a fault at the organisation’s end,” he told The Telegraph.

“They should be sympathetic and reassuring.”

Older people will be “conscientious” about filling in forms, he added, “I hope the ONS has not developed a ‘computer says no’ mentality, that if the census hasn't arrived it must be the fault of the person sending it”.

Rachel Maskell MP, chair of the APPG on Ageing and Older People, said “people should not be blamed for failed systems”.

“I would urge Government to investigate this issue and ensure that those who have complied with their obligations are supported, not least elderly and vulnerable residents, and the threats of fines are withdrawn immediately,” she said.

Watch: Am I wasting my money by renting?