Over a third (36 per cent) of British adults – 18 million people – are concerned that their finances will worsen post-Brexit, up from 32 per cent six months ago, according to a YouGov survey conducted on behalf of Royal London.

However, the survey also found that around 10 per cent, or 5 million people, are of the impression that their finances will improve once the UK has departed from the EU, with 10 per cent of Britons also making changes to their finances as a direct result of Brexit.

Furthermore, 16 per cent of people have delayed making a big decision, such as booking a holiday, purchasing a property, buying a car and retirement, specifically because of Brexit.

The third quarterly survey found revealed that age and gender had a large impact on expectations, with women more likely to be pessimistic around the impact Brexit will have on their finances, with 37 per cent negative and 7 per cent positive. Those between the ages of 25 and 49 are also more likely to expect a decline in their finances rather than an improvement, with over 40 per cent of them pessimistic compared with 7 per cent that are optimistic.

On the other hand, men that have passed retirement age are more likely than any other group to state their personal finances will improve once the UK has left the bloc, with 22 per cent of men over 65 expecting an improvement and 48 per cent thinking their finances will stay “much the same”.

Commenting on the findings, Royal London personal finance specialist Becky O’Connor said: “The UK is becoming united in its certainty that Brexit will have an impact on their personal finances.

“However, Brits are becoming more polarised about whether that impact will be positive or negative.

“On balance, across all demographic groups, people are more pessimistic. This is leading to delays in big financial decisions, such as buying a house and even retiring.”

According to O’Connor, the data suggested that “income insecurity” plays a role in someone’s outlook, highlighting the schism in expectations between the working age population and the retired population.

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