The lender revealed in quarterly results it has approved more than 238,000 mortgage and loan payment holidays requested by borrowers affected by the virus.
Profits sank to £913m in the three months to the end of March, from £1.5bn in the same quarter last year, primarily as a result of the hit from the credit impairment charge.
Barclays UK saw income drop by four per cent amid ongoing margin pressure but did not reveal gross mortgage lending.
Aside from coronavirus, the first quarter had been positive for the group with overall income increasing by 20 per cent, according to chief executive Jes Staley.
He stressed that the economic uncertainty and low interest rate environment arising from the coronavirus was expected to make 2020 challenging.
Robust position
Staley said: “Barclays is committed to supporting its customers, clients and the UK economy through the crisis.
“Despite the macroeconomic downturn caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the group’s position remains robust, reflecting our diversified business model.”
He added that an event like the Covid-19 pandemic made everyone focus on what is most important.
“For us, that means running the bank safely and soundly, helping our customers and clients through the difficulties they face, supporting the UK economy and the communities where we live and work, and taking care of our colleagues around the world,” he continued.
“Operationally, it has been extraordinarily challenging to deliver services under very tough conditions and constraints, and those challenges look set to remain in the near term.
“We welcome the government and Bank of England’s business support programmes and have introduced additional measures to back UK companies ourselves.”
