"Our top priority is assisting our current customers, working with our partner brokers all over the country and ensuring we deliver the best possible experience to customers."
All current Saffron mortgages will remain available, including those that have previously only been available to brokers.
Although not in direct response to the current coronavirus situation, Saffron says the move will allow the building society to focus on customers most in need of help over the next few months.
The Society says it is dealing with enquiries for payment support at "exceptionally high levels" and is offering one-to-one support for mortgage customers.
Saffron plans to relaunch a new customer-focused service in the first half of this year.
Anita Arch, head of mortgage sales at Saffron Building Society, commented: “We are on the verge of launching something very special and extremely exciting at Saffron this year, which is the focus of a lot of our attention. In preparation, we have made the decision to suspend direct to customer mortgage sales this Spring to allow us the opportunity to get the new service ready to launch.
"Any existing application will be completed - we are working with our applicants to ensure that we support them through the process. At the moment, our top priority is assisting our current customers, working with our partner brokers all over the country and ensuring we deliver the best possible experience to customers.
“Customer service is our number one priority, and it always will be at Saffron. At present we want to make sure our customers have access to a friendly voice at the end of the phone during this extremely difficult time. However, we are also looking to the future and we are very excited to launch our brand-new service very soon. Watch this space. In the meantime, from all of us at Saffron, we wish everyone well and remember we will all be out the other side soon.”