In Liverpool and Bedfordshire, two fortunate individuals have won a £1 million prize each through Premium Bonds, as confirmed by the National Savings & Investments (NS&I), a government-backed organization. The first £1 million winning Bond number, 489TB013219, belongs to a person in Central Bedfordshire who purchased the Bond in February 2022, holding the maximum allowable amount of £50,000 per person under NS&I’s regulations. The second £1 million jackpot Bond number, 040QJ919368, is held by a resident of Liverpool who also holds the maximum £50,000 investment and bought the winning Bond in October 2004.
These winners are part of over 6.1 million prizes totaling £408 million distributed by ERNIE, the Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment, in the latest monthly draw. Since the inception of Premium Bonds in 1957, ERNIE has awarded a total of £40 billion to bondholders, with 815 million prizes being given out.
While the two £1 million prizes are notable, the majority of prizes are of lesser value. Among the winners this month, 78 individuals received £100,000 each, and 154 were awarded £50,000 each. Additionally, there were 2,643,007 prizes valued at £25 each.
Andrew Westhead, NS&I’s retail director, congratulated the two jackpot winners and highlighted the substantial sum of prizes distributed this month. He emphasized the enduring popularity of Premium Bonds, which offer a secure way for savers to potentially win tax-free rewards. Participants can hold up to £50,000 in Premium Bonds, secured by the Treasury. It is important to note that newly acquired Premium Bonds must be held for a full calendar month before being eligible for the prize draw.
The jackpot prize was raised to £1 million per draw starting from April 1994, resulting in two £1 million prizes being awarded each month. Premium Bond holders can check for prizes using the Premium Bonds prize checker app or by visiting the NS&I website. Notifications of winnings are sent to winners via email or text if they have provided their contact details.
NS&I cautioned that individuals could miss out on prizes if they fail to update their contact information after moving or changing banks. Currently, there are over 2.7 million unclaimed prizes totaling nearly £114.8 million awaiting collection.