Only 13 Windrush victims had been granted emergency support by the government by the end of April, it has emerged, a year after the government apologised for its “appalling” mistake in classifying thousands of legal UK residents as illegal immigrants.

Many of those affected were pushed into destitution because of the combined effect of being forced out of their jobs, and being told they were ineligible for benefits and healthcare.

With some facing eviction and visits from bailiffs, the government agreed to launch a hardship fund at the end of last year, but by the end of April, 91 people had applied for help and only 13 had received support.

Over 6,400 have been given documents confirming that they are living in the UK legally, of whom 4,200 have been granted British citizenship, according to the latest update of the work of the Commonwealth Citizens Taskforce.

The Home Office has scrutinised the consequences of its hostile environment data-sharing programme, and acknowledged that officials repeatedly tipped off other government departments, wrongly informing them that Windrush generation people were in the UK illegally.

As a result a number of people lost their benefits or driving licences, and letters were sent to their employers advising them to conduct a “right to work” check. The home secretary, Sajid Javid, has written another 46 letters of apology to those wrongly sanctioned as a result of this data-sharing exercise.

“I have been very clear that the experiences of some members of the Windrush generation [have] been completely unacceptable, which is why I am committed to right the wrongs of successive governments,” he said.

Officials have still failed to make contact with 16 people who were wrongly removed by the Home Office; at least 12 people who were mistakenly removed died before officials were able to apologise to them.

Yvette Cooper, chair of the home affairs select committee, said: “It’s worrying that the Home Office is still failing to provide vital support to the Windrush generation. Of the nearly 100 people who have requested urgent support, it’s shocking that only 13 have been accepted and 41 others have been outright rejected. So more than 12 months on from the Windrush scandal only very few people are being supported for the hardship they have endured.”

The shadow home secretary, Diane Abbott, said the government should acknowledge grave concerns that the compensation scheme “isn’t working”.

The Labour MP Helen Hayes said community groups in her constituency had described problems with the scheme. “The form is too complex, advice is neither accessible nor specialist enough, and the burden of proof is far too high,” she told ministers at Home Office questions in parliament.

Calling for a review of the system, she said the government must “provide immediate funding for specialist legal advice to be available not just by phone but in person for every Windrush citizen who needs it”.

The immigration minister, Caroline Nokes, admitted at 18 pages the application was “quite long”, but said Citizens Advice had been contracted to help individuals make a claim. The Home Office would not say whether any compensation payments have so far been made.