Martin Lewis' team of financial gurus at Money Saving Expert (MSE) has revealed millions of pounds worth of Premium Bond prizes have been left unclaimed. According to the latest figures from National Savings and Investments (NS&I), more than two million prizes worth a combined £79.4 million are still up for grabs.
The unclaimed prizes include five worth £100,000 and nine worth £50,000. MSE has issued a list that breaks down where the 2,269,198 prizes are by value and region.
The National Savings and Investments ( NS&I) - a state-owned savings bank in the UK, which offers Premium Bonds and a range of other savings and investments - says it contacts every winner. Depending on the option they’ve selected, this could be by either text message, email or a letter in the post.
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But the NS&I says that sometimes prizes go unclaimed for a variety of reasons, such as the letter getting lost in the post or contact details not being updated. Below is MSE's list of unclaimed Premium Bond prizes by value.
Prize value |
Number unclaimed |
Total value |
£25 |
1,709,460 |
£42,736,500 |
£50 |
490,399 |
£24,519,950 |
£100 |
62,875 |
£6,287,500 |
£250 (*) |
14 |
£3,500 |
£500 |
4,770 |
£2,385,000 |
£1,000 |
1,549 |
£1,549,000 |
£5,000 |
69 |
£345,000 |
£10,000 |
37 |
£370,000 |
£25,000 |
11 |
£275,000 |
£50,000 |
9 |
£450,000 |
£100,000 |
5 |
£500,000 |
Total |
2,269,198 |
£79,421,450 |
(*) £250 prizes were issued from June 1957 to July 1974 and can no longer be won. |
Meanwhile, the map below issues a full regional breakdown, based on the last known home address of the bond-holder. In the East Midlands, the map indicates there are 112,874 unclaimed.
Chris Newlands, news and investigations editor at Money Saving Expert, said: “For those who suspect they might have let their Premium Bonds fall by the wayside, seeing these figures should be a wake-up call. Some of the eye-popping pots available could be potentially life-changing for people – especially right now.
“I hope our findings give people the impetus they need to check their numbers and see if they’re due what could be a very significant windfall. The time it takes to do so could be extremely well spent.”
According to the NS&I, you can cash in all or part of your bonds at any time. If you're registered to manage your savings online or by phone, simply log in or contact the firm. If you are not registered, you can easily withdraw money from yours or your child's Premium Bonds without needing to create an online profile.
A statement on the NS&I website adds: "If you’d like to take money out of Premium Bonds, but make sure that certain Bonds are kept in the draw, you can do this online using a form. You can also download, print and complete a cashing in form. Then post your completed form to us together with the Bond certificates to be cashed in (if you have them)."
See MSE’s news story for full details on how consumers can check and claim. Plus, see MSE’s Premium Bonds guide for how they work and if they’re worth considering.
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