More people were receiving support while attempting to claim asylum in Blackburn with Darwen in September than a year earlier, figures show.

The figures come as a leading refugee charity predicts the Government will struggle to commit to its pledge to clear the backlog in asylum applications by the end of next year.

While awaiting a decision, asylum seekers are unable to work but can be entitled to financial assistance and accommodation through what is known as 'Section 95' support.

Home Office figures show 340 people in Blackburn with Darwen were receiving such support as of the end of September – up from 261 claimants in September 2021.

In 2012 the Home Office sought to increase the number to 700 but dropped the plan following opposition.

However, earlier this month, we revealed the number of asylum seekers accommodated in Blackburn with Darwen is in fact set to double.

READ MORE: Blackburn with Darwen asylum seeker numbers 'to double'

The government told council bosses it wants to increase the total housed in the borough from 370 to 750.

The asylum seekers in the borough are part of a long-standing agreement between the authority and the Home Office and are looked after by private company Serco and the council.

Health boss at the council, Cllr Damian Talbot said: "Blackburn with Darwen have been a supporter of asylum seekers for many years.

"The asylum seekers we are supporting have primarily come through Asylum Accommodation and Support Contracts (AASC).

"SERCO at the instruction of the government are procuring more properties in every area to include Blackburn with Darwen.

"The number of placements in the borough will rise from just over 350 to approximately 750.

"The Home Office has recently re-evaluated the number of asylum seekers each local authority should take through the AASC scheme.

"This includes an increased ask of authorities already supporting asylum seekers.

"For Blackburn with Darwen this means an increase to 750. To April, Blackburn was voluntarily supporting 370. This will continue to rise toward the 750 figure.

"A large number of areas of the UK have made less support available.

"Asylum seekers comprise individuals and families. Those that receive positive decisions are then rehoused by us.”

Across the UK, 101,000 people were receiving some form of asylum support at the end of September, up 46 per cent from the same time last year.

This included 58,000 people receiving Section 95 support, up from 46,000 the year before.

Recent refugees from Ukraine and Afghanistan receive different forms of support and are therefore not included in these figures.

Separate data, also from the Home Office, shows nearly 23,000 Afghans had arrived in the UK as of November 4, while 150,000 Ukrainians had arrived by December 12.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has recently vowed to clear the backlog of 117,000 asylum claims by the end of 2023.

He said the Government was hiring more caseworkers and overhauling the system for processing system.

Downing Street later revised this figure, saying that the Government would only seek to clear the 92,000 claims made before June – leading to accusations that the plan was already "falling apart" by the Labour party.

Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said: “No one trusts the Conservatives to fix the asylum system they’ve broken over the last 12 years.”

Last year saw a significant rise people in the number of people on 'Section 98' support across the UK, which is given to those who appear destitute and are waiting to see if they are eligible for Section 95.

More than 37,000 people were being provided with such support at the end of September, dwarfing the nearly 17,000 at the same point last year.

Local figures on Section 98 recipients are unavailable.

The Refugee Council, a campaign group for refugees, said that the Prime Minister "had offered little in terms of concrete steps" to clear the backlog, adding that it is concerned the commitment will not be delivered.

Tamsin Baxter, executive director of external affairs at the charity, said: "As the number of people waiting for a decision grows, so does the number of people left in limbo, unable to work and dependent on the Home Office for accommodation and financial support."

Across the North West, 11,715 people were receiving Section 95 support at the end of September, up from 8,944 in September 2021.

Meanwhile, 2,088 asylum seekers have been resettled across the region through various schemes since 2014.

The Home Office said it is working on clearing "legacy cases" from before the end of June, which was when the asylum processing system was changed.

It said the new Nationality and Borders Act means it can now differentiate claims based on whether people arrived in the UK through "legal or illegal routes".