The overall Comprehensive Social Security Assistance caseload dropped to 220,258 in August, down 0.3% from July, the Social Welfare Department announced today.

The total number of recipients stood at 315,512.

Both low-earnings and single parent cases registered a month-to-month decrease of 0.7% to 2,297 and 24,636 cases. Old age cases were down 0.4% to 125,764.

Unemployment cases decreased 0.6% to 19,245, an increase of 52.9% compared with January 2020 when Hong Kong just started to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

The average number of applications for unemployment cases in June to August 2021 was 544 per month, down 7% from the May to July number.

Ill-health cases rose 0.6% to 26,765, while permanent disability cases increased 0.1% to 17,520.