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Census chaos deepens as Scots pensioners face £1000 fines and criminal records

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dailyrecord.co.uk

Thousands of elderly people could end up with £1000 fines and a criminal record because of Scotland’s census chaos, according to a leading ­charity.

Latest figures show more than 12 per cent of households – about 350,000 people – have still to complete the forms.Age Scotland says many are older citizens struggling to complete the census and desperately needing help.

Failure to return a census form is a criminal offence and carries a fine of £1000. A new completion deadline of Sunday, June 12, was set last week.

The original March 20 deadline was extended three times after poor uptake. Age Scotland’s chief executive Brian Sloan said: “The Scottish Government should use the extension to shine a light on who is missing before threats of huge fines for not completing it.“It would be hugely distressing to find older people handed £1000 fines without every effort to support them.”National Records of Scotland (NRS) sent out letters to every household in the country in March, with census participation required by law.No paper questionnaires have been automatically provided.

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