The overall Comprehensive Social Security Assistance caseload dropped to 225,339 in February, down 0.2% on January, the Social Welfare Department announced today.

The total number of recipients stood at 320,294.

Low-earnings cases fell 1.2% to 3,491 while single-parent cases dropped 0.4% to 24,435.

Old-age cases dipped 0.3% to 141,834 while ill-health cases fell 0.2% to 23,038.

Unemployment cases edged up 0.4% to 11,742 cases.

Permanent-disability cases remained at 16,663.