There were 290,414 social security assistance cases with 499,952 recipients in October in Hong Kong, down 0.3 percent on the previous month, Hong Kong Social Welfare Department said Wednesday.

The number of jobless receiving comprehensive social security assistance continued to fall to 34,171, down 1.3 percent from September.

The low-earning and single-parent groups also fell 0.7 percent and 0.6 percent, to 17,508 and 37,595 in October, the department said.

Total government spending on welfare payments was about 17.6 billion Hong Kong dollars (US$2.27 billion) for 2006-07, according to the figure released by the department.

(Xinhua News Agency November 8, 2007)