A survey carried out by YouGov discovered 75% of people who had missed payments without agreeing an authorised deferral with their lender were worried it would negatively impact their ability to get a mortgage.

Pepper Money, which commissioned the survey, said while this news proved how unsettling Covid-19 had been for so many people’s finances, it also presented an opportunity for brokers.

Paul Adams, sales director at Pepper Money, said: “Covid-19 has been a disruptive influence on the finances of millions of people and official statistics have reflected the popularity of schemes like the mortgage payment holidays, which required customers to contact their lender to arrange a deferral of their payments.”

He added: “This presents an opportunity for mortgage advisers to help restore people’s confidence by talking about the options that are still open to them based on their individual circumstances.

“There are many lenders that can take a considered and pragmatic view of mortgage applications from customers who have missed payments as the result of a significant life event, and there are few life events as significant as a global pandemic.”

Indeed, the research revealed 66% of adults who had experienced adverse credit in the last three years and who were looking to buy a property in the next year would seek advice from a mortgage broker.

The Adverse Credit Study aims to build up a picture of how the adverse credit has been impacting people over the last through years, including during the pandemic.