Family Resources Survey 2003-04
Consultation of documentation
Interviewers are encouraged to consult documentation from respondents at all stages of the interview to ensure that the data are as accurate as possible. For some items, whether or not certain documents are consulted is recorded on the questionnaire, helping users of the data to judge the accuracy.
When answering questions on income from employment, employees consulted their latest payslip in 45 per cent of cases in 2003-04. However, it should be noted that in a further seven per cent of cases employees simply did not have a payslip to consult.
In recording data on benefit and payable tax credit receipt, some form of documentation (an order book, a letter from the DWP or Inland Revenue or a bank statement) was consulted for 52 per cent of all payments received.
53 per cent of households consulted a Council Tax bill or statement in answering questions on their Council Tax payments.
In addition, self employed respondents are asked if they have documentation when they provide information about the profit or loss of their business. Of the 74 per cent of self employed respondents who had prepared business accounts, 29 per cent were able to refer to such documentation.