The popular bonds paid out 5.8 million prizes worth between £25 and £1m in this month’s draw, with the bond holder from Gloucestershire winning with a bond that had been entered for the very first time.
Andrew Westhead, NS&I’s retail director, said: “We’re delighted to kick off 2025 by creating our first Premium Bonds millionaires of the year in Liverpool and Gloucestershire.”
The Liverpool bond holder had £37,025 in Premium Bonds and purchased the bond in 2022, while the Gloucestershire bond holder had the maximum £50,000 held in Premium Bonds, having bought the winning bond in November. They are the ninth Premium Bonds jackpot millionaire from Gloucestershire, while the Liverpool bond holder is the third jackpot winner from the city.
Was it you?
While newly minted millionaires get a visit to inform them of their win, you can find out if you’ve won a smaller prize by visiting the NS&I website, using the prize checker app, or asking Alexa.
To check on the NS&I website, bond holders need their Premium Bonds holder’s number. For the app, either a Premium Bonds holder’s number or an NS&I number will work.
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Unclaimed prizes
While there are millions of winners, there are also plenty of unclaimed prizes, which can happen when account holders change their contact details or move home without notifying NS&I.
Over £92m of prizes are currently unclaimed, with the oldest unclaimed prize dating back to 1962.
You can check if you’re due a share of this money by using NS&I’s online prize checker or the prize checker app. Again, all you need is the holder’s number.
If you have old-fashioned paper Premium Bonds, you can register them online or by calling the helpline on 08085 007 00.
In Liverpool, there are 8,974 unclaimed prizes worth £325,025. The largest unclaimed prize in Liverpool is worth £5,000 and was from the May 2023 draw. The oldest unclaimed prize is worth £25 and is from the April 1965 draw.
In Gloucestershire, there are 22,409 unclaimed prizes worth £775,125. The largest unclaimed prize in Gloucestershire is worth £5,000 and is from the April 2019 draw. The oldest unclaimed prize is worth £25 and is from the July 1962 draw.
Rates and reinvestment
Premium Bonds do not pay you interest, unlike a bank account. However, every bond has a chance of winning and the odds of winning are 22,000 to one. This makes the prize fund rate – the average return Premium Bond holders receive in prizes – 4%. Prizes are tax-free, however, which makes the proposition more attractive, though the rate has been cut this month from 4.15%.
You can choose to have any prizes you win automatically reinvested into new bonds or to have the money sent to your bank account directly. Once you reach £50,000 worth of bonds, however, you will not be able to buy more.
