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Ian Howarth, consultant for Liverpool-based IFA Parker Kelly, said he had used Norwich Union quite a bit recently as the practice received preferential rates as part of Premier Mortgage Services.

Mr Howarth said: "The overall service is pretty good. I struggled initially because if you have the odd tricky case with other companies you can go straight to the underwriters or the business development managers but I did not have that with Norwich Union.

"I found I was getting straight through to the call centre in Sheffield and getting turned away at the first instance, whereas other companies would look at the case when you explained it.

"However we now have someone who heads up that side who is pretty good. If there is anything that is a bit quirky he will look at it. Quote wise and service wise I find it really good.

"For processing new business it is really good, generally I do not have any problems and I am quite happy using the lender."

Lender says...

Dominic Fraser-Smith, equity release group product manager for Norwich Union, said: "We set up a dedicated equity release administration team in Sheffield 18 months ago.

"After an initial period of bedding in, service levels are high and the feedback we receive from advisers is excellent. One reason for this is the Service Promise. It promises Norwich Union will process client applications within five working days as long as the application is filled in correctly and all the documentation is in place.

"Norwich Union has one of the widest equity release product offerings on the market - three types of lifetime mortgage and a home reversion plan - and our team in Sheffield will be able to provide information on these products.

"A prospecting pack has also been launched and this helps advisers develop equity release business among existing customers and provides tips, marketing programmes and letter templates to target potential equity release customers."

Newcastle Building Society

Pamela Brimmage, financial consultant for mortgage adviser the Southport Investment Bureau, said she used Newcastle for the first time in February and the general experience was "not bad at all".

Ms Brimmage said: "On a couple of occasions I would be kept on hold for ages right at the end of the day. You would be on hold for 45 minutes and then the line would cut off, which was very annoying but that can happen with any lender from time to time so I would not mark it down.

"It was very good about giving information as opposed to being cloak and dagger about clients. Sometimes lenders will not discuss things with you but the client contacted it to say they were happy to discuss things with me and in detail.

"In terms of underwriting the lender took a very individual approach. It looked at the case on its own merits. As a lender if their product was alright I would definitely use them again."

Lender says...

Steven Marks, lending executive for Newcastle Building Society, said: "It is really good for us to get feedback like this and I am pleased the adviser found many aspects of our service and products to be good.

"Just as importantly the adviser had difficulty with our service over the telephone and I am sorry for the inconvenience this would have caused.

"In the first few months of the year the Newcastle experienced some of the same market issues many other lenders experienced. With fewer lenders active, and fewer products on offer, we suddenly experienced unprecedented surges in new applications whenever we launched a new, competitive product.

"Since then our service levels have been very good and we would expect this will always be the case from now on."