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Household Income A question for the 2011 Census?

Household Income A question for the 2011 Census?. Sara Conroy Statistical Methodology Branch General Register Office for Scotland. Overview. Quantitative research 2006 GROS Postal Test 2007 ONS Postal Test Qualitative research 2007 GROS Consultation Cognitive Question Testing

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Household Income A question for the 2011 Census?

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  1. Household IncomeA question for the 2011 Census? Sara Conroy Statistical Methodology Branch General Register Office for Scotland

  2. Overview • Quantitative research • 2006 GROS Postal Test • 2007 ONS Postal Test • Qualitative research • 2007 GROS Consultation • Cognitive Question Testing • Current position

  3. Should we include an income question? • Great demand from a variety of data users • Thought to provide vital low level geographical information regarding: • areas of affluence and deprivation • characteristics of those with high/low income However… • Respondents may find the question intrusive, and be less likely to complete and return a Census questionnaire as a result • Data quality may be poorer than other questions

  4. 2006 GROS Postal Test • 5 areas in Scotland, purposively selected • Half hand delivered, half post-out • Half with income, half without • 52,000 households • 46% (valid) return rate Gross banded household income question

  5. 2006 Test: Main Findings • Lowest household item response rate (87%) • No detrimental effect on response rates • Higher response rates for income questionnaires • 17% of those with income questionnaires stated their unhappiness with the income question • Mixed comments received, although the majority were negative • Follow up survey revealed 60% would be happy to answer an income question

  6. 2007 ONS Postal Test • Areas purposively selected, but with the aim of being representative of England & Wales • Half hand delivered, half post-out • Half with income, half without • 1,000,000 households Individual question - sources of income Individual question - gross banded income

  7. 2007 Test: Main Findings • Income item response rate of 91% • Inclusion of an income had a statistically significant negative effect on response rate • Issues with data quality • Evaluation Survey showed that only 67% of answers matched their 2007 Test response

  8. 2007 GROS Consultation “We would welcome your views on whether or not a question on income should be included in the 2011 Census. In particular, if a personal income question takes up too much space, would a household question be sufficiently useful? If you believe a personal income question is vital, what other topics would you be prepared to exclude to accommodate it?”

  9. Conclusions • Vast majority of respondents in favour of an income question • Around 10% not in favour of an income question • 13% stated a preference for, or commented only on, an individual income question • Over 50% stated a household question would be sufficient, with some stating a preference for • Problems with current question design

  10. Getting the question right • In early 2008, GROS commissioned Ipsos MORI to carry out Cognitive Question Testing on a revised household income question • 65 respondents, including: • Those in single adult, family and couple households • Pensioners, students, those in receipt of benefits • Respondents who were self employed or had more than one job • Unrelated adult households (including lodgers)

  11. Main Findings Household income consistently underestimated • Household members often omitted • Not considered as part of the ‘household’ • Income not known • Certain types of income often omitted • Not considering all income as ‘core’ • Not reading the instructions • Feeling that it was ‘better’ or ‘safer’ to err on the low side

  12. Other findings • Students particularly problematic • Respondents happy with the use of bandings, although this led them to believe that only a rough estimate was required • Response options for both weekly and annual income found to be useful • Time period was noticed, with people most likely to base calculations on their current income • Respondents did not deduct Tax, National Insurance etc.

  13. Current position • Further consultation with users revealed there is still strong user demand for the question, despite its shortcomings • As a result, GROS have taken the decision to include a household income question for the 2009 Rehearsal

  14. However…. • Only Census office including an income question • The data will need to be carefully evaluated and the question reassessed after Rehearsal • Scottish Parliament has the final say over all questions for the Census

  15. Questions?

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