increased in 1994, the House of Assembly was told yesterday.

But Health and Social Services Minister the Hon. Quinton Edness said Government has moved to end a practice by which some Bermudians were receiving social assistance and housing allowances at the same time.

Now, it is only possible to receive "one or the other,'' Mr. Edness said.

His comments came in response to Parliamentary Questions from Shadow Health and Social Services Minister Mr. Nelson Bascome .

Mr. Edness told Mr. Bascome that the number of recipients of Government aid fluctuated throughout the year, but that from April 1 to December 31, 1994, the average number was 1,745. Of those, 1,116 were receiving social assistance and 629 were receiving housing allowances, he said.

For the same period in 1993, the average number of people receiving aid was 1,629, Mr. Edness said. Of that number, 924 were on social assistance, while 705 were receving housing allowances.

In response to a supplementary question, Mr. Edness said he would find out how many of those receiving assistance were unemployed, and report back.

At one time, people could receive both types of aid at once, but the policy has changed and "that has been reduced to the extent now that I doubt there are one or two persons'' still receiving both, the Minister said.

The combined total in 1994 for both types of financial aid was $8.3 million, Mr. Edness said. The average social assistance recipient was getting $528 per month, while the average monthly housing allowance was $303, he said.