The overall Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) caseload in April showed a drop of 638 cases, representing a decrease of 0.3 per cent compared with that of March, according to the latest CSSA caseload statistics released by the Social Welfare Department today (May 20).
              
     The total CSSA caseload at the end of April stood at 223 154 (see attached table), with a total of 318 964 recipients.
              
     Analysed by case nature, low-earnings cases registered a month-to-month decrease of 1.0 per cent to 2 398 cases. Old age cases were down by 0.5 per cent to 128 163 cases.
              
     Unemployment cases remained steady at 19 801 cases. The figure represented an increase of about 57.3 per cent in comparison with that of January 2020 when Hong Kong just started to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The average number of applications for unemployment cases in February to April 2021 was 789 per month, representing a reduction of 7.8 per cent from that in January to March, or a reduction of 63.6 per cent from that in February to April 2020.
             
     Ill-health cases rose by 0.3 per cent to 26 360 cases. Both permanent disability cases and single parent cases increased by 0.1 per cent to 17 523 cases and 24 851 cases respectively.

Ends/Thursday, May 20, 2021
Issued at HKT 17:00

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