EVERY completed census return will benefit Halton by up to £5,000 per person.

The office for national statistics has estimated that each person counted in the census is worth £5,000 to the public purse over 10 years.

For every 100 residents who don’t complete their form, Halton misses out on £500,000.

Council leader, Clr Rob Polhill, said: “Officers and members are working hard to encourage as many residents as possible to complete the census.

“As well as providing much needed information on the changing nature of Halton populations, the future funding of public services depends on accurate responses.

“That means there is a direct correlation between how much information communities provide and the amount of funding Halton gets to support its services in future.

“Given the massive cuts that government wants us to make to our budget in the future, we’re determined to make sure that we maximise our grant.”

Census day is Thursday, March 27.