The overall Comprehensive Social Security Assistance (CSSA) caseload in August showed a drop of 677 cases, representing a decrease of 0.3 per cent compared with that of July, according to the latest CSSA caseload statistics released by the Social Welfare Department today (September 16).
              
     The total CSSA caseload at the end of August stood at 220 258 (see attached table), with a total of 315 512 recipients.
              
     Analysed by case nature, both low-earnings cases and single parent cases registered a month-to-month decrease of 0.7 per cent to 2 297 cases and 24 636 cases respectively. Old age cases were down by 0.4 per cent to 125 764 cases.
              
     Unemployment cases decreased by 0.6 per cent to 19 245 cases. The figure represented an increase of about 52.9 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 June to August 2021 was 544 per month, representing a reduction of 7.0 per cent from that in May to July.
             
     Ill-health cases increased by 0.6 per cent to 26 765 cases. Permanent disability cases increased by 0.1 per cent to 17 520 cases.

Ends/Thursday, September 16, 2021
Issued at HKT 17:00

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