The overall Comprehensive Social Security Assistance caseload dropped to 223,995 in April, down 0.3% on March, the Social Welfare Department announced today.

The total number of recipients stood at 318,774.

Low-earnings cases fell 1.2% to 3,382, while old age cases dropped 0.4% to 140,664.

Single parent cases decreased by 0.3% to 24,311 cases and permanent disability cases slightly slipped by 0.1% to 16,602.

Both ill-health cases and unemployment cases went up 0.3% to 23,103 and 11,734.