The overall Comprehensive Social Security Assistance caseload dropped by 459 cases to 199,941 in January, down 0.2% from December last year, the Social Welfare Department announced today.

The total number of recipients was 273,349.

Low-earnings cases registered a month-to-month reduction of 0.8% to 1,568. Unemployment cases fell 0.6% to 17,075.

Single parent cases dropped 0.5% to 20,385. Old age cases dipped 0.3% to 112,032.

Meanwhile, ill-health cases increased 0.3% to 27,817, and permanent disability cases remained steady at 17,164.