More people are living on welfare, with the jobless accounting for the biggest rise in new claims, according to the Health and Welfare Bureau.
Last month, the number of recipients of Comprehensive Social Security Assistance stood at 241,673, a rise of six per cent from December 2000.
The largest increases were registered among the unemployed (24.2 per cent), single-parent families (9.3 per cent) and low-income earners (8.3 per cent).
These three categories of recipients, totalling 66,398, accounted for 27.5 per cent of all cases, according to a bureau report released yesterday.
The bureau attributed this mainly to the economic downturn and rising jobless rate.
It said $14.5 billion had been approved for CSSA payments in 2001-02, but an additional $150 million was needed for the remainder of the year. The report warned that without adequate funds, welfare payments might not be able to be given to needy families on time.
