Advice for newly widowed friend

[magsrinasia]

My close friend recently lost her husband. She will be returning to the UK later this year after living overseas for many years. I am helping her to make plans and would be so grateful for any advice which people can offer regarding living expenses for a single parent in the UK. As I am also living overseas I am very out of touch and I wasn't a parent when I last lived in the UK!
She will hopefully have some savings to get started but will need to look for a job fairly quickly and things are likely to be quite tight. She has 3 children aged 10, 12 and 13 and would be planning to live in or near Leamington Spa. If anyone in a similar situation would be willing to share information on living expenses such as rent, grocery bills, transport etc that would be a great help. Are there affordable options for childcare over the school holidays if she manages to get a job?
Thank you for any help/ advice. This is a very difficult time for her and if we can help to smooth the transition to life in the UK and make realistic plans for the future then that would be a positive thing.

[DoubleYew]

Maybe post in the MN Local section for where ever Lemington Spa is? Rent and transport costs really vary depending whereabouts in the UK you live and niceness of specific areas.

here is a site that will give an idea about rental prices.

This site compares grocery shopping prices. Most big supermarkets deliver so you can do a pretend shop online so she could get an idea of what her grocery bills would be like.

She'll need to pay council tax too, which varies on the Band of the property, see here. She should apply for the 25% discount as she will be the only adult in household.