RBS and Natwest will allow personal borrowers suffering a sudden loss of income due to the coronavirus to defer mortgage repayments for up to three months.

Loan repayments may also be postponed for the same amount of time.

Customers who are struggling as a result of the virus outbreak would also be able close fixed savings accounts to access cash with no early closure charge.

Refunds will be applied on credit card cash advance fees, customers can apply for an increased temporary credit card limit, and request an increased cash withdrawal limit of up to £500 for debit cards.

The banking giant made similar provisions for victims of the recent flooding following a series of storms hitting the UK.

A spokeswoman was keen to stress the measures are standard forbearance options for customers in financial difficulty, not just those impacted by coronavirus.

“We understand there may be circumstances where a personal customer may fall into financial difficulty as a result of the impacts of coronavirus, for instance, loss of income,” the spokeswoman says.

“We will look to understand each customer’s situation on a case-by-case basis and can offer a number of options to help them manage their finances. We would encourage any customer experiencing financial difficulty to get in touch with us.”

The bank is monitoring the potential impact of coronavirus across all its customers to ensure it can support them appropriately through any period of disruption, they add.