As everyone else has said, try getting your mum to contact the CAB. OP, my mum was in the same position as your mum for a few years (she's also a single parent) and it's hard to watch them stressing over every penny which they've spent. Tell your mum that you're there for her but understand that if she doesn't feel like talking, don't try to push it. Anything to do with money, whether it be lending a person money, etc. can be a touchy subject and it could be that your mum feels too proud to say anything, which is why she might not have told you...