Atom bank raises loan-to-income limits, adding up to £31,000 of borrowing for households on £45,000 to £60,000

Atom bank raised its loan-to-income limits on 2 September across its Prime and Near Prime ranges up to 90% LTV, adding between £23,000 and £31,000 of maximum borrowing for households earning £45,000 to £60,000. Lenders are increasingly competing on affordability rules rather than headline rates, because criteria changes move budgets without touching margins. For buyers in that income band it widens the search slightly; for sellers it marginally deepens the pool of bidders. It is one mid-sized lender, not a market-wide move.