Depending on which survey you believe, either 40% or 62% of savers would consider leaping into the new arena of crowd or peer-to-peer lending.

But they would need the incentive of their returns being tax-free.

Well from next year they will be. The chancellor, who took four years to take the shackles off savings by turbo-charging the Isa, has now effectively ditched the Isa altogether in favour of tax-free savings for all (or most).

It potentially gives another major boost to the fast-growing peer-to-peer (P2P) sector where people lend to other people and businesses, through platforms such as Zopa, Ratesetter and Landbay. Risk is diversified by loans being spread across multiple borrowers, all credit-rated, and rates start at 3 per cent and rise to 6per cent and above, depending on risk and access.

The chancellor had already signalled his support for bringing alternative financing into the mainstream by making it Isa-friendly, perhaps by creating a new Lending Isa or Lisa. But now he seems to have run out of time.

Rhydian Lewis, chief executive of Ratesetter which styles itself the UK's leading P2P platform, says: "Peer-to-peer investors will have to wait until the summer for confirmation of the exact details of how P2P lending will work within Isas. Maybe the chancellor is buying some time to properly consider the Lending ISA, which after all, would be a game-changer for the industry."

He says Lisas would offer "a much needed middle ground between low yield cash and high risk investments, opening up choice for consumers, reinvigorating a tired Isa market and allowing a higher return on their investments".

However, with the Isa market not so much tired as now moribund for ordinary savers, P2P can surely trade on its big advantage - it already pays higher rates than savings accounts, and soon those rates will look even more attractive with no tax deducted.

For instance, Isa savers will be lucky to get 1.25per cent for easy access, 1.8per cent for a three-year fixed rate, or 2.5 per cent for five years. The P2P platforms can offer average returns of 4.4 per cent on three-year loans - but at present that is reduced to 3.52 per cent for a basic rate taxpayer.

Whether or not Lisas make an appearance during the next tax year, from April 2016 that P2P return will jump back to 4.4per cent thanks to the new Personal Savings Allowance where £1000 of interest can be earned tax-free each year. The gap with traditional savings will widen.

Hannah Maundrell, editor in chief at money.co.uk says: "The government has been toying with the idea of allowing people to invest their ISA allowance in peer to peer products for some time now but a conclusive decision seems to be a long time coming. The industry experienced 100% growth last year as it seems poor savings rates are creating a greater appetite for risk amongst consumers. However, the prospect of a tax free return is likely to be the 'shot in the arm' the industry needs to see accelerated growth in the immediate future with 40% more consumers claiming they would invest."

The P2P association says its research earlier this year found 74% of respondents backing a new lending Isa, and 62% indicating that they would invest in one.

Money.co.uk however found that so far only 6% of savers had taken the plunge, investing an average of £7,186. More than half had never heard of peer to peer lending or crowdfunding.

However 30% of the sceptics believed the industry was unregulated - though it has been under the Financial Conduct Authority's writ for 12 months. Lenders have to ring-fence their loan portfolios and maintain a capital buffer of at least £20,000, rising to £50,000 in two years' time.

Zopa, Landbay, Funding Circle and FundingKnight are among P2P ledning platforms with the best disclosure about lending risks, according to an analysis by Moneycomms.co.uk.

But nobody in the sector falls within the orbit of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme, which guarantees up to £85,000 of savings should an institution go bust.

Maundrell says: "You can't escape the fact that there are some great returns on the table with providers offering up to 6% per annum over five years. However, if you're tempted by the headline grabbing rates, you should dip your toe in the water and start with smaller investments to see if it's the right choice for you."

She adds: "It's likely Isas will become a haven for those that are more open to risk - especially when P2P products are added to the investment Isa mix."

Danny Cox, financial planner at Hargreaves Lansdown, says: "There is a place for debt crowd funding in an Isa where the credit risks are properly assessed through a platform and the investor diversifies their exposure multiple times.

"However equity crowd funding is the wild west of investing, and involves the smallest start-up businesses, where there is the high risk of failure. Complete losses of capital will be commonplace and if profits are made, the lack of secondary market will see few investors reaping their rewards for years, if ever."

Tim Blaxter

Tim Blaxter agrees that investment crowdfunding - the high-risk end of P2P - is the "wild west" and not for the faint-hearted. Blaxter, a business consultant from Pollokshields in Glasgow, says: "I have done quite a bit of angel investing...if I have 10 investments, two are going to be wonderful, two are going to bumble along, and six are going to fail catastrophically. The only way to manage that is to have a portfolio and expect the two to provide cover for all 10."

Blaxter says the principles of angel investing should ideally apply in crowdfunding , which means an assessment of the management team is critical.

He concludes: "There are some interesting companies out there, with proper products and expertise - they are there, you just have to sift through. Fundamentally it is all about spreading risk......it is 80% luck anyway."