Are you sitting on a forgotten Premium Bonds prize fortune? Check now | Personal Finance | Finance
NS&I savers have been urged to check their Premium Bonds numbers to make sure they aren’t missing out on winnings worth thousands of pounds. As of June, more than 2.5 million Premium Bond prizes worth over £103million were left to be claimed, National Savings and Investments (NS&I) has said.
This includes 11 prizes worth £100,000, 19 prizes worth £50,000, 38 prizes worth £25,000, and 75 prizes of £10,000. Andrew Westhead, retail director at NS&I, said: “These figures are a timely reminder to update your details, talk to your loved ones about your savings and make sure your money stays firmly in your hands, both now and in the future.”
Premium Bonds savers can win sums worth anything between £25 and £1million every month through randomly generated prize draws.
People are usually notified when they win a prize, but if they move or change their contact details without updating NS&I, prizes can go unclaimed.
How to check for unclaimed Premium Bonds prizes
People can check if they’ve won a prize through NS&I’s prize-checking tool. Customers will only need their Premium Bonds holder’s number or NS&I number to see the results.
People can also download the NS&I premium bonds prize checker app, which is available at the Apple Store or Google Play, where the same information will be readily available.
Not only will it show this month’s prizes, but it’ll also display any older unclaimed prizes.
Old NS&I bonds, certificates, passbooks, or account paperwork can often be found tucked away in drawers or among old documents. Customers who find forgotten savings are encouraged to use NS&I’s tracing service to locate any funds due to them.
In the financial year 2024/25, more than £166million was reunited through 52,693 NS&I accounts for holders who had lost touch with their savings and investments using these tools.
This includes over £120million in Premium Bonds savings and unclaimed prizes, £11.4million paid out from old Savings Certificates and £1.3million from old Children’s Bonus Bonds.
Jessica Willock, personal finance expert at Confused.com said: “Premium Bonds are a popular way to save, but it can be easy to forget about them once they’re set up. That’s why it’s not surprising to hear that over £100million in prizes is currently unclaimed.
“With millions of people holding bonds, there’s a good chance some have money waiting for them and don’t even realise it.
“If you’ve ever bought Premium Bonds, it’s worth taking a moment to check in on them. If you’re not sure of your details, you can speak to the NS&I, who can help you recover them.”
Explaining the quickest way to receive prices and avoid missing out, NS&I suggested savers opt to have winnings paid directly into their bank accounts.
A statement from NS&I reads: “Customers can choose to have their prizes paid directly to their bank account or reinvested into more Premium Bonds. Nine in 10 prizes are already paid this way as it is quicker than waiting for a cheque to then pay in.”
Customers can find instructions on how to change their prize payment preferences here.
