The big prize winners for the February draw for Premium Bonds have been announced including the two jackpot prizes for £1million.
The first £1million winner was for Bond number 137BG686951 which belongs to a person from Dorset. They purchased the winning Bond in March 2008.
Taking home the other £1million jackpot is a saver from Wandsworth in London, with winning Bond number 456RD476057. They purchased the Bond in May 2021.
Another big cash prize winner, from Essex, won £50,000 despite holding just £10 in Premium Bonds, which they purchased in June 2009.
Each £1 Bond is entered into the monthly prize draw and has an equal chance of winning, no matter how long ago it was purchased.
One lucky winner from Wiltshire won a £100,000 prize for a Bond they purchased almost 25 years ago, in September 1999.
The prize fund rate is dropping from the March draw, down from 4.65 percent to 4.4 percent. The chances of a Bond winning will remain the same at 21,000 to one.
Andrew Westhead, NS&I retail director, said previously: “These changes reflect our requirement to strike a balance between the interests of our savers, taxpayers and the stability of the broader financial services sector.
“In a dynamic savings market, it’s important that our rates are set at an appropriate position against those of our competitors as we work towards meeting our annual Net Financing target.
“After these changes, the Premium Bonds draw in March is expected to pay out over 5.7 million tax-free prizes totalling more than £444million to savers across the UK.”
A customer can check if they have any prizes to collect using the prize checker tool on the NS&I website, or via the app.
A frustrated customer recently contacted NS&I to ask if the old style Bonds are still entered into the monthly prize draw, as Bonds they purchased in the 1970s have never won a prize while more recently issued ones have.
The group explained: “Every £1 Bond has an equal chance of winning a prize, regardless of when or where it was bought.
“In fact, over 95 percent of eligible Bonds have been bought since the year 2000, which is why newer Bonds seem to win more frequently.”
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contacted the savings provider to ask if the old style Bonds are still entered into the monthly prize draw, as Bonds they purchased in the 1970s have never won a prize while more recently issued ones have.
