Air conditioner compressor leak'.

[dom14]

The system was supposed to have been serviced not long before I bought the vehicle, according to a sticker on the firewall. I think it will be a case of leave it till some cash is available. That way, the pressure of the gas should stop ingress of moisture.

Little bit of gas stays inside, and hopefully that can prevent the moisture from getting into the system.
Once the pressure drops below a certain point, the clutch won't kick in.
It might help NOT using the A/C until you're ready to fix it. That might help preserving what's left of the gas inside the system, I think.