New figures show the backlog in asylum claims continues to spiral as hundreds more receive financial support in Oldham which a local law firm has said comes with an added cost of "human suffering".

While awaiting a decision on their claim for refugee status, asylum seekers are prohibited from working but are entitled to financial aid and accommodation through what is known as section 95 support.

Asylum claimants may also be eligible for section 98 support, which is given to those who appear destitute while they wait for section 95 assistance.

Figures from the Home Office show 914 people were claiming asylum assistance in Oldham as of December last year, up from 631 the year before.

Of these people, 685 were receiving section 95 support.

The figures come as the UK's backlog in asylum applications topped 160,900 - a rise of 60 per cent from 100,600 for the same period in 2021 and the highest figure since current records began in 2010.

The number of asylum seekers claiming section 98 support, where they are judged to be at risk of destitution, doubled from 24,200 to 49,500 last year.

Local figures on section 98 support have only just been made available with 175 people receiving it in Oldham.

John Cahill, a partner at the Oldham-based law firm, the Immigration Advice Service, explained: "It is now commonplace for our clients to be waiting several years just to attend an asylum interview, with many remaining in the same hotel accommodation whilst being unable to work or, if they obtain permission to work, allowed to work only in roles on the Shortage Occupation List.

"The financial cost of the backlog is both enormous and avoidable.

"The processing system has been beset by years of mismanagement and the government has refused calls to allow asylum claimants greater access to work for political reasons.

"The cost in human suffering to those individuals and families whose lives are in indefinite limbo, meanwhile, is incalculable."

The Refugee Council also called the backlog "alarming" and said people fleeing persecution are being left "in limbo" while awaiting a decision.

The charity's CEO, Enver Solomon, added: "We need an asylum system that isn’t just about control, but is also about compassion and competence."

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak pledged to clear the 92,600 initial asylum claims in the system at in June last year by the end of 2023.

However, the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford described the challenge as a “major headache” for the Government.

Senior researcher Dr Peter Walsh said other countries have “routinely received similar or higher numbers of claims” but processing the applications has been “particularly slow in the UK”.

In an effort to speed up the process, thousands of asylum seekers will now be sent 10-page questionnaires to fill out instead of facing an interview, with officials warning their claim could be “withdrawn” if they do not reply with the required information.

A Home Office spokesman said: “Our priority is to stop the boats and ensure that people who come here illegally are detained and swiftly removed.

“We are working to speed up asylum processing so that people do not wait months or years in the backlog, at vast expense to the taxpayer, and to remove everyone who doesn’t have a legitimate reason to be here.

“To ensure our processes remain robust and all claims are properly considered, we have recruited hundreds of caseworkers to crack through cases."