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WANTED! 384,678 MISSING WINNERS OF PREMIUM BOND PRIZES WORTH £23 MILLION
23 June 2003
A coast to coast search is underway to find the missing winners of £23 million of unclaimed Premium Bond prizes. The 384,678 unclaimed prizes range in value from £25,000 to £25 and their owners reside all over the UK, as well as abroad, according to National Savings and Investments (NS&I). (Bond numbers of high value unclaimed prizes are in the Notes to Editors).
Top ten UK regions for unclaimed Premium Bond prizes
| | Region | Number of unclaimed prizes | Value of unclaimed prizes |
|---|
| 1 | Greater London | 88,510 | £5,324,050 |
| 2 | Lancashire | 17,789 | £1,056,410 |
| 3 | Yorkshire | 17,440 | £1,025,140 |
| 4 | Cumbria | 4,201 | £761,000 |
| 5 | Sussex | 10,859 | £648,700 |
| 6 | Essex | 10,445 | £619,475 |
| 7 | Kent | 10,214 | £600,950 |
| 8 | Surrey | 10,009 | £589,500 |
| 9 | Hampshire | 9,823 | £572,910 |
| 10 | West Midlands | 8,448 | £505,040 |
|
The number of unclaimed prizes has reached the highest number ever and NS&I is keen to reunite winners with their prizes.
Recent NS&I research* revealed that one in seven people who moved house in the last 12 months forgot to pass on their change of address details to all their financial providers. This is why many prizes go unclaimed.
NS&I urges customers to get back in touch and check if they are a prize winner.
|
There is no time limit on claiming. Each unclaimed prize is held until the winner can be tracked down. The oldest unclaimed prize dates back to the first draw in June 1957.
Some people might not be aware they have Premium Bonds, which are entered into a prize draw each month. They might not remember making their original investment or perhaps they, like many others, were given Premium Bonds as a child and have simply forgotten about them. There's one teenager in Essex, for example, who doesn't know they've won £10,000.
Gill Cattanach, NS&I commercial director said, "Our aim is to reunite Bondholders with the £23 million in unclaimed prizes and we urge those customers who've forgotten to tell us they've changed address to get in touch to check if they are a winner."
If Premium Bond holders have changed their address and told NS&I, it's unlikely that they have any unclaimed prizes, but if they think they have missed out on a Premium Bond prize.
LOG ON TO
www.nsandi.com and use the Premium Bond prize checker
VISIT A MAIN POST OFFICE
And ask to see the supplement to the London Gazette
WRITE TO
Premium Bonds
National Savings and Investments
Blackpool
FY3 9ZW
Ends
Notes to Editors
Highest value unclaimed Premium Bond prizes
| Winning Bond number | Prize value | Date of Purchase | Area of purchase | Last known living in | Present holding | Current age |
|---|
| 07KB745181 | £25,000 | 1971 | Ashford, Middx | London E1 | £22 | 26-35 |
| 30WK965766 | £10,000 | 1992 | London SE9 | Bromley | £261 | 56-65 |
| 11KB156268 | £10,000 | 1980 | Lichfield | Lichfield | £20 | 17-25 |
| 03DS884311 | £10,000 | 1970 | Derby | Derby | £1 | 65+ |
| 09JW942130 | £10,000 | 1976 | unknown | South Africa | £33 | Unknown*** |
| 24KB509100 | £10,000 | 1989 | Ilford | Ilford | £10 | 16-25 |
| 31WW765919 | £5,000 | 1993 | St Neots, Cambs | Co Durham | £20,000 | Unknown*** |
| 28PK991235 | £5,000 | 1991 | Colchester | Colchester | £1,200 | Unknown*** |
| 02BP106894 | £5,000 | 1969 | Ramsgate | Spain | £202 | Unknown*** |
| 08EP999777 | £5,000 | 1981 | Newcastle | Newcastle | £15 | 17-25 |
| 49JN653616 | £5,000 | 1997 | Stafford | Uttoxeter, Staffs | £20,000 | 65+ |
| 14LP067624 | £5,000 | 1994 | London N12 | London N12 | £20,000 | 65+ |
| 04BB564177 | £5,000 | 1972 | Belfast | Belfast | £171 | Unknown*** |
| 08DS137312 | £5,000 | 1988 | unknown | South Africa | £2,000 | 65+ |
| 07BN917085 | £5,000 | 1976 | London N19 | London N19 | £14 | 36-45 |
| 63YZ430355 | £5,000 | 1999 | Dartford | Dartford | £19,995 | 65+ |
| 03QL448423 | £5,000 | 1965 | Dartford | New Zealand | £75 | Unknown*** |
| 02MT341072 | £5,000 | 1976 | St Austell, Cornwall | St Austell, Cornwall | £30 | Unknown*** |
| 01DF230538 | £5,000 | 1966 | Newcastle | Newcastle | £4 | 36-45 |
| 79EZ070359 | £5,000 | 1997 | Orkney | Orkney | £10,283 | Unknown*** |
| 03BB947910 | £5,000 | 1970 | London E12 | London E12 | £2 | 36-45 |
| 10VS930686 | £5,000 | 1974 | Sheffield | Sheffield | £100 | Unknown*** |
| 08FT480057 | £5,000 | 1978 | Hartlepool | Hartlepool | £20 | Unknown*** |
| 14XS489423 | £5,000 | 1980 | Grays, Essex | Grays, Essex | £600 | Unknown*** |
| 00BB435614 | £5,000 | 1972 | Eastbourne | Montrose | £2 | Unknown*** |
| 02LZ879618 | £5,000 | 1958 | Buckhurst Hill, | Essex Buckhurst Hill, Essex | £25 | Unknown*** |
| 01KS402526 | £5,000 | 1957 | London W11 | London W11 | £17 | Unknown*** |
* Research carried out by TNS PhoneBus, 2 - 4 May 2003 among 1,009 adults aged 16+. Respondents were asked "Have you moved home in the last 12 months?", "When you moved home, did you forget to forward your new address to any organisation that you have savings, investments or another financial product with?" and "Have you ever forgotten to forward your new address to any organisation that you have savings, investments or another financial product with?"
** Although the Bond holder has cashed in their Premium Bonds they are still eligible to claim their prize.
*** This information was not entered onto the original application form
Premium bond prizes are classified as unclaimed if they have not been claimed 18 months after the Prize Draw in which they were won. NS&I make strenuous efforts to trace missing Premium Bond customers, usually those who have moved without forwarding change of address details.
FOR DETAILED REGIONAL DATA AND FURTHER INFORMATION ON UNCLAIMED PREMIUM BOND PRIZES CONTACT THE NS&I MEDIA TEAM. PHOTOGRAPHY AVAILABLE.
| Mark Brooks | 020 7348 9301 | mark.brooks@nsandi.com |
| Jonathan Akerman | 020 7348 9433 | jonathan.akerman@nsandi.com |
| Samantha Bennett | 020 7348 9654 | sam.bennett@nsandi.com |
| Wendy Franklin | 020 7348 9449 | wendy.franklin@nsandi.com |
| Fax | 020 7348 9755 | |
| Out of hours | 07778 966387 | |
Media team
NS&I has a number of spokespeople available for interviews and our experienced radio team is available via our ISDN line: 020 7602 4522.
The numbers below are for media use only.
Customers
wishing to contact NS&I can find details here.
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