Emergency relief is usually provided as one-off support in a time of crisis. In extreme circumstances, such as having no income at all, some emergency relief agencies may be able to give you ongoing support, but this is not common.

Some agencies set limits on how often you can keep going back for support, for example, by allowing a maximum of four food vouchers per person per year. But they will usually try to keep helping you if you need it, for example, by providing food directly.