The overall Comprehensive Social Security Assistance caseload dropped by 457 cases to 199,205 in March, down 0.2% from February, the Social Welfare Department announced today.

The total number of recipients was 271,440.

Low-earnings cases registered a month-to-month decrease of 1% to 1,530. Unemployment cases fell 0.6% to 16,943.

Single parent cases dropped 0.5% to 20,192. Old age cases and permanent disability cases both dipped 0.2%, to 111,633 and 17,104 respectively.

Meanwhile, ill-health cases remained steady at 27,855.