There were 296,255 social security cases last month, 400 less than in September, a 0.1% dip, the Social Welfare Department says.

The number of jobless receiving comprehensive social security assistance fell 0.8% to 38,724. Cases involving single-parent families dropped 0.6% to 38,727 while those involving the low-income group fell 0.3% to 18,421.

Cases involving the aged rose 0.1% to 152,302 and accounted for 51.4% of the total, while the jobless and single-parent families each accounted for 13.1% of cases.