Thought this too, but was unsurprised at the Council's "You are a crook by default" tone - it's their standard approach with Council Tax.

The website says something about a duty to protect the public funds, which is *always* the case, so why they're threatening folk now does make it look like they want a wedge of free cash from probably the least expensive members of the community.

I felt a bit better by writing on the form that as an upstanding member of the community I would inform them if my circumstances changed, and until that time they could stop assuming I was attempting to commit fraud.

ps: I decided life was too short to get upset about this stuff when I received the "have you returned your census? It's the LAW!" letter this week - fuck sake, there must be a lot of cash sloshing around somewhere if The Man can afford to send everyone a reminder by first class post - even those who have already returned the census. Great use of public funds.
[edit:I returned my census promptly when I received it]

A census reminder by post - even with the rise in the cost of stamps - is still cheaper than sending someone door-to-door, which we got. Though in fairness we were a week overdue because the departing flatmate didn't understand the whole 'census' concept.

Yes they are really coordinated!! I have a friend who is being trained (by Lockhead Martin no doubt!!) on this very day to be a Census chaser-uperer. She says they issue them with lists of people who have't returned their forms.

Surprised to hear from ADGS that the Census people came round already. They're not starting follow ups til tomorrow, are you sure they were who they said they were?

I think the census people chase up households rather than individuals. As far as I know, as soon as your census form arrives at their centres they scan them immediately to acknowledge their return. There was a barcode beside the return address. I put mine in the post on the Monday after Census Day and was surprised to receive the warning letter a few days later (Thursday I think). It wasn't until I read the end of the letter (that stated to ignore the letter if you'd already sent your form in) I realised they were probably sent to everyone.

I did have to explain which properties from the address list actually existed in our building, and which did not, so maybe it was just because we're a problematic property in that way that we got an early visit, in order that they knew who needed letters. Not that we've had any yet.
(And his ID seemed in order, and he didn't want to get in, so if it was a scam it was one of uncertain purpose. Though he did look about 15, so maybe he had just nicked his big brother's stuff and was playing dress-up?)

@Rona - I just wonder if it wouldn't be cheaper and more effective to draw that sort of information from the multiplicity of existing databases. Experian/Voting records/Tesco clubcard data. I read recently that the data mining on credit cards is so sophisticated that they know two years ahead of time that someone is likely to get divorced.

In that context, taking a big national paper survey that is supposed to last you for 10 years seems like a very 1950s - and very civil service - way of thinking about things.

But yes, shame on me. How unreasonable of me to ask stupid questions.