My dear neighbour has been living off some life insurance money from her dear husband who died a couple of years ago, which is not much , has confided in me her worried that the money will run out before her retirement (in around 3 years).
At the moment she has not been claiming UC or PIP but just using this money and hoping it will last until retirement but it likely will not (not talking huge sums of money here, just paying bills and food).
She spent her adult life raising children then did have a job around 10 years ago but stopped working after having a blood clot in her leg, which has left her with a sore leg the majority of the time, she is unable to walk long distance or for more than say 15 minutes and even when walking that 15 minutes will need several rests. She also has arthritis in her hands and anxiety since her DH passed.
What can my neighbour do please ? Is it only PIP she can apply for ? As noted she just needs enough money to tide her over to retirement. We are very much hoping she can then get pension credit, due to likely not having enough NI contributions. (Again if anyone is knowledgeable in this area please provide reassurance)
Please note we have limited knowledge on what benefits are available, my neighbour has not claimed any benefits as her husband worked and provided for them both whilst she raised the children.