THE number of county residents aged over 90 will treble in the next two decades, care bosses have said.

The figure will rise from about 4,600 in 2008 to 16,900 in 2033, Oxfordshire County Council said.

Over the same period, the number of over-65s will go from 96,600 to 171,200 and over 85s from 14,200 to 37,600.

A council report said longer life expectancy and better healthcare was putting a “significant demographic pressure on adult social care”.

It said the number of OAPs seeking council help was currently “over and above” what was expected from the increase in population.

But it said the number waiting for care in their homes had dropped by 60 per cent since June 2011.

One reason for this was care teams being given cash directly to cut out “unnecessary processes”.

Age UK Oxfordshire chief executive Paul Cann said the council was “trying hard to put a pint into a quart pot” because of Government cash cuts.

He said: “There are some signs of progress in the county, but this is a care system that is creaking.”