The Commissioners of Customs and Excise have issued a return of the numbers of old-age pensioners in each county and county borough of the United Kingdom in March 1914, together with proportion to population at the last census, and the estimated cost. The following are the particulars for the counties of Oxford … and Warwick:-

In Oxfordshire there were 4,864 pensioners, of whom 2,057 were men and 2,807 women.  These represented 35.65 per 1,000 of the total population at the last census, and 718.46 per 1,000 of the population of the age of 70 and over. The estimated cost per annum was £60,971, or 20.96 pence in the pound rate on assessable value equivalent to cost of pensions.

In Warwickshire there were 7,051 pensioners – 2,790 men and 4,261 women; these being 23.44 per 1,000 of population, or 637.06 per 1,000 of those of pension age. The estimated cost was £88,385, or 11.89 pence in the pound.

Extract from Banbury Guardian, May 1915