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The winner from Devon purchased the winning bond, with the number 517BL200634, at some point during October 2022. But this wasn’t the only winner scooping a prize from a bond purchased that month. It’s been announced a saver from South Gloucestershire is the lucky recipient of a £25,000 prize with the number 516KW677361, also bought in October 2022.
NS&I recently boosted its prize fund rate by 2.2 percent, which saw a staggering 4,977,130 prizes worth £218,993,750 paid out during December’s draw, and two lucky winners of the million-pound jackpot have been announced.
The prize draw takes place at the start of every month and winnings are split into three value bands – higher, medium, and lower. Each band receives a percentage share of the monthly prize fund.
Prizes in the higher band range from £1million (only two of these can be won) to £5,000, while the medium and lower bands award people the chance to win between £1,000 and £500, and £100 and £25, respectively.
NS&I said this month’s lucky £1million jackpot winners hail from the Scottish Highlands and Wandsworth in London.
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The first winning Bond number drawn was 414XW486235, owned by the winner in the Scottish Highlands, who holds £45,000 in Premium Bonds and purchased the winning Bond in September 2022. The win makes them the first jackpot winner from the Highlands.
The second winning Bond number drawn was 159FZ477948, held by the winner from Wandsworth, who holds £29,042 in Premium Bonds and purchased their winning Bond in August 2009. They are the second Premium Bonds millionaire from Wandsworth.
The Agent Million responsible for the Scottish Highlands delivery said: “It was the first time that myself or any of the other Agents Million had made the journey from the home of Premium Bonds in Lytham to the Highlands of Scotland.
“It was a long trip up there, but it was worth it for the joy that our winner had when I told them that they had won the £1million jackpot. I’m sure that our winner in Wandsworth will be equally delighted by this windfall win.”
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On the news, Jill Waters, NS&I retail director, said: “With over 4.9 million prizes up for grabs this month, worth nearly £219million, Premium Bonds holders up and down the country will be getting a fantastic early Christmas present from ERNIE ahead of the festivities kicking off.
“This Christmas, you can also give the gift of Premium Bonds to children and help kick start a healthy savings habit from just £25.”
NS&I Premium Bonds prize checker
Premium Bonds holders can check to see if they’ve won a prize in the draw by using the NS&I official prize checking tool, or their Alexa-enabled device from December 2.
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The largest unclaimed prize is worth £1,000. The oldest unclaimed prize in the Scottish Highlands is from September 1969 and is worth £25.
In Wandsworth, there are 20,622 unclaimed prizes with a total value of £698,600. £5,000 is the largest unclaimed prize from the December 1977 prize draw. The oldest unclaimed prize is from November 1963 and is worth £25.
The best way to ensure prizes are claimed is for savers to opt to have them paid directly into their bank account or automatically reinvested into more Premium Bonds. Savers can find out how to do this here.
