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Elly Rewcastle

What happens to unclaimed Set for Life, Euromillions and Lotto prizes?

Three prizes of £10,000 a month for a year could be in your wallet. The second biggest prize in the National Lottery’s Set for Life game was won three times in County Durham.

It is still being determined whether three people chose the same numbers, or if the same ticket was mistakenly purchased multiple times. Thankfully, the lucky ticketholder or ticketholders still has plenty of time to claim their prize, providing they still have the little slip.

If you genuinely believe that you could be the winner but you don’t have the ticket anymore, then it is possible to try to claim. Camelot, the company behind the National Lottery, will listen and investigate any genuine claims made within 30 days of the draw.

Read more: Hunt for missing National Lottery winners as three tickets bought in County Durham unclaimed

What happens to prizes that go unclaimed?

After 180 days, or six months, any cash from lottery wins in the UK that is unclaimed is donated to the Good Causes fund. After six months, the ticket officially expires and it means that the owner will no longer be able to claim any winnings.

It doesn’t matter if the ticket was for £2.50 or for £1 million, if it’s unclaimed after the wait period runs out then it will be donated.

What is the National Lottery Good Causes fund?

The Good Causes fund was founded at the same time as the game itself in 1994 and is continuously raising money for good causes. Every time a National Lottery ticket is purchased, a portion of the proceeds goes straight into the Good Causes charity.

Camelot says: “We retain around just 1% of revenue in profit, while around 95% of total revenue goes back to winners and society. More so, we run one of the most cost-efficient major lotteries in Europe, with around 4% of total revenue spent on operating costs.”

What causes get funding from the National Lottery?

National Lottery funding goes all over the country to all kinds of sectors. Whether that’s supporting an art gallery, museum or theatre or backing veterans, athletes and performers.

Funding has helped small communities to set up events for children, low-income families and those struggling with mental health issues. It has also helped on a bigger scale, with money going towards the construction of some of our most iconic landmarks - the Angel of the North was erected in Gateshead with the help of £584,000 of National Lottery funding,

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