Independent review. Equiclear is an introducer, not a lender, and has no commercial relationship with Norton Home Loans unless stated. Criteria below are taken from Norton Home Loans's own published information (source) and were last checked on 15 September 2026. Where a figure could not be verified it is left out.
Norton Home Loans is a Rotherham based specialist lender offering secured loans (second charge mortgages, also called homeowner loans) from £3,000 to £250,000 over 1 to 25 years, at up to 85% combined loan to value, through brokers only. It publishes seven plans that go from clean credit down to two recent adverse events, considers people still in an IVA or DMP, and takes 100% of most benefit income. It suits homeowners with small loans, impaired credit or non standard income.
Norton Home Loans secured loan criteria at a glance
| Maximum combined LTV | 85% on the two high LTV plans; 80% on the other Optimal plans; 75% on plans A, B and C |
|---|---|
| Loan size | £3,000 (£20,000 on Optimal Zero) to £250,000 |
| Terms | 1 to 25 years |
| Minimum income | £30,000 on Optimal Zero, £25,000 on Optimal 1 and 2; from £15,000 joint on plans A to C with a higher credit score |
| Maximum age at end of term | 85 (minimum age 21) |
| Adverse credit | Plans B and C allow one or two adverse units, where a unit is a CCJ or default of £300 or more in the last 12 months, a month of mortgage arrears, or an unsecured account with three or more missed payments. Satisfied CCJs and defaults under £3,000 are ignored. IVAs are considered at month 54 if the loan repays them; DMPs need 6 months of satisfactory conduct; bankruptcy within 3 years is declined. |
| Self-employed | Yes, 1 year's trading |
| Buy to let | No (does not lend on tenanted property) |
| Fees | Lender fee £695 on loans up to £15,000, £995 from £15,000.01 to £50,000 and £1,495 above £50,000, which can be added to the loan or paid on completion. Broker fee capped at 12.5% to 15% of the loan or £4,950. Redemption administration fee £150. Fixed rates carry early repayment charges on a sliding scale. |
| Typical time to funds | Not published |
| How to apply | Through brokers only |
Who are Norton Home Loans?
Norton Home Loans Limited is a specialist first and second charge mortgage lender based in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. It is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority under firm reference number 464136 and is part of the wider Norton group, which has a separate broking arm. On its own site it says it has spent around 50 years helping clients who do not fit mainstream criteria, with a stated focus on credit profile, income and property type.
Norton is an intermediary only lender. Its website states plainly that the information on it is for intermediaries and introducers only and should not be given to borrowers, and its Consumer Duty information sheet lists FCA authorised intermediaries as its only distribution channel, whether they package cases themselves, use an external packager, or use Norton's own in house packaging service. In practice that means you reach Norton through an FCA authorised broker, not by calling the lender.
What makes Norton unusual is how much it publishes. Its second charge lending plans, full lending criteria and product information sheet are all downloadable from its site, with dates on them, so a borrower can see exactly what each plan tolerates. Everything on this page was checked against the August 2026 plan sheet and October 2025 criteria document on 15 September 2026. Criteria can change without notice, so treat them as a snapshot.
All Norton second charge loans are secured on your home, which means your home may be repossessed if you do not keep up repayments on your mortgage or any other debt secured on it. Anyone considering consolidating debts this way should also talk to a free advice service such as MoneyHelper, StepChange or Citizens Advice, who can explain whether a debt solution that does not involve your home would serve you better.
What secured loans does Norton Home Loans offer?
Norton's second charge range, published as "Secured Loan Lending, August 2026", is built around seven plans. Five sit under the Optimal banner for cleaner profiles and three, labelled A, B and C, are for applicants with adverse credit. All are capital repayment loans; Norton does not offer interest only or bridging.
The Optimal plans lend from £3,000 up to £250,000 (Optimal Zero starts at £20,000 and Optimal 2 caps at £200,000). Optimal Zero, Optimal 1 and Optimal 2 go to 80% loan to value; the two high LTV versions, Optimal 1 HLTV and Optimal 2 HLTV, go to 85%. Each has a minimum Equifax score and a minimum income: £30,000 for Optimal Zero, £25,000 for Optimal 1 and 2, with benefit income allowed if it is less than half of the total. All require no adverse units and no mortgage or secured loan arrears in the last 12 months.
Plans A, A HLTV, B and C lend £3,000 to £150,000 (£55,000 on plan C) at 75% LTV, or 80% on A HLTV. Plan A needs no adverse units, plan B allows one and plan C allows two. Plans B and C also take applicants where more than half of income comes from benefits.
Every plan is available on a variable rate with no early repayment charge, or on 2, 3 and 5 year fixed rates that carry a sliding scale of charges: 2% then 1% on a 2 year fix, 3% down to 1% on a 3 year fix, 5% down to 1% on a 5 year fix. Terms run from 1 to 25 years. Loans can be for any legal purpose, and Norton's own information sheet names debt consolidation and home improvements as the main uses. For a sense of monthly cost over different terms, use the secured loan calculator.
What are Norton Home Loans' lending criteria?
Applicants must be at least 21 and the loan must complete before the 85th birthday of anyone whose income is used. Up to four applicants are allowed. Norton lends in England, Wales and Scotland but not Northern Ireland, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands.
Income is one of Norton's strengths. It takes 100% of most benefit income, excluding Jobseeker's Allowance, including Universal Credit and child related income for children under 14. Self-employed applicants need one year of trading with accounts, an accountant's certificate or an SA302 plus three months of business bank statements. Zero hours, agency, temporary contract and probationary workers are all considered. A maximum 50% debt to income ratio applies to all secured and unsecured credit, and Norton needs a £100 monthly surplus on its income and expenditure assessment.
On credit history, Norton defines an "adverse unit" as a CCJ or default of £300 or more in the last 12 months, one month of mortgage or secured loan arrears in the last 12 months, or unsecured credit of £300 or more with three or more current missed payments. Plan B allows one unit, plan C two. Mail order, communications and utility arrears are ignored, as are satisfied CCJs and defaults under £3,000. Bankruptcy within 3 years and a debt relief order within 2 years are declined. Norton will lend to someone who has paid at least 54 months of an IVA, provided the loan settles it. A current debt management plan is considered with 6 months of satisfactory conduct, though not on Optimal 1 or 2. Any existing mortgage arrears must be cleared from the loan. Our pages on secured loans during an IVA and with mortgage arrears explain how unusual that is.
Property criteria are broad: ex council homes, non standard construction (with a valuation) and high rise flats over £200,000 are all considered, but shared ownership, tenanted and semi commercial properties are not, and Norton will not lend behind an equity release plan. Properties under £80,000 have their plan LTV cut by 15 or 25 percentage points.
How does Norton Home Loans compare?
Norton sits at the more flexible end of the second charge market. Very few lenders publish a plan that tolerates two CCJs or defaults in the last 12 months, and fewer still will lend to someone who is still in an IVA or accept an applicant whose income is mostly benefits. Its £3,000 minimum is also among the lowest we track, which matters if you only need to clear a modest amount rather than borrow the £10,000 to £15,000 that many lenders insist on.
The cost of that flexibility shows in the fee structure and the rates. Norton's lender fee runs from £695 to £1,495 depending on loan size, and it allows broker fees of up to 12.5% or 15% of the loan, capped at £4,950. On a £10,000 loan a broker charging the maximum could add £1,500, so it is worth asking about the fee before you proceed; our guide on what is normal for broker fees gives a benchmark. Norton's published rates for its adverse plans are noticeably higher than the cleanest plans from banks such as United Trust Bank, which is what you would expect.
Its £250,000 maximum and 25 year term are also smaller than Pepper Money (£1,000,000 and 40 years) or West One (£1,000,000 and 40 years), and its 85% LTV ceiling is below Pepper Money's 100% high LTV plan and United Trust Bank's 90%. For a large, clean case those lenders are likely to be cheaper.
Where Norton wins is the case a bank would decline: a small loan for someone on benefits, a recent default, an IVA that is nearly finished, or a mortgage in arrears that the loan will clear. Together and Equifinance compete in that space, but Norton's published detail makes it easier for a broker to know in advance whether a case will fit.
Our verdict
Norton Home Loans is one of the most transparent and flexible second charge lenders we track. If you need a small loan, have recent CCJs or defaults, rely on benefit income, or are near the end of an IVA and want to settle it, Norton's published plans show clearly whether you are likely to fit. The downsides are cost and scale: lender fees of up to £1,495, broker fees allowed up to £4,950, and higher rates on the adverse plans, with a £250,000 ceiling and 85% maximum LTV. If your credit is clean and your loan is large, a bank style lender is likely to be cheaper. Either way, an FCA authorised broker should compare Norton against the whole panel first.
Alternatives to Norton Home Loans
For clean credit and larger loans, United Trust Bank and Pepper Money lend more at higher LTVs. For adverse credit, Together publishes its own tolerance for missed payments and IVAs, and Evolution Money lends direct to consumers who have been turned down elsewhere. See the full lender criteria database to compare them side by side.
Worried about debt? Get free advice first
If you're struggling, it's worth speaking to a free, impartial debt advice service before you borrow more. They don't sell anything and won't judge your situation.
- MoneyHelper: Free, impartial debt advice backed by government
- StepChange: The UK's largest free debt charity
- Citizens Advice: Free, confidential advice on debt and money
Checking your options with Equiclear will not affect your credit score.
Frequently asked questions
Is Norton Home Loans the same as Norton Finance?
No. Norton Home Loans Limited is the lender reviewed here, authorised by the FCA under reference 464136. Norton Finance is a separate broking business within the same group that arranges loans from a panel of lenders. If you apply through Norton Finance you may be offered a Norton Home Loans product or one from another lender.
Will Norton Home Loans lend to me if I am in an IVA?
Possibly. Norton's criteria say it will lend to clients who have paid at least 54 months of an IVA, as long as the loan repays the IVA in full and the supervisor confirms they will have no interest in the property afterwards. Plans Optimal 1 and 2 exclude current debt management plans, but plans A to C consider them.
What is the minimum loan from Norton Home Loans?
£3,000 on most plans, which is among the lowest in the second charge market. Optimal Zero, the cleanest plan, starts at £20,000. The maximum is £250,000 on the Optimal plans, £150,000 on plans A and B and £55,000 on plan C, all including any fees added to the loan (checked September 2026).
Does Norton Home Loans accept benefit income?
Yes. Norton uses 100% of most benefit income, including Universal Credit, child benefit and child tax credits, but not Jobseeker's Allowance. Plans B and C take applicants where half or more of income comes from benefits; the Optimal plans allow benefit income only if it is under half of total income.
How much does a Norton Home Loans secured loan cost in fees?
The lender fee is £695 up to £15,000, £995 up to £50,000 and £1,495 above that, and can be added to the loan. Brokers may charge up to 12.5% or 15% of the loan, capped at £4,950. There is a £150 redemption fee and early repayment charges apply during any fixed rate period.