August NS&I Premium Bond winners revealed – did you win big?

Two lucky winners become millionaires in the August NS&I Premium Bonds draw

In the August draw of the National Savings and Investments (NS&I) Premium Bonds, two individuals from Hereford & Worcester and Essex have become millionaires by winning the top prize of £1 million each. The first Bond number drawn was 522MP682337 and is held by a winner in Hereford & Worcester, who purchased their winning Bond in December 2022. The second winner, based in Essex, holds Bond number 535RC655361, which they purchased in April 2023. Both winners accumulated their maximum holding of £50,000 and £23,700 in Premium Bonds, respectively.

The significance of the wins

These wins highlight the potential for big prizes to be won at any time, regardless of the length of time an individual has held their Premium Bonds. It dispels the notion that only long-standing bondholders have a chance of winning the jackpot. Both winners waited less than a year to win their million-pound prizes, with one winning after eight months and the other after just four months. This news comes as the prize fund rate increased to 4% and the odds improved to 22,000 to 1, making it the best chance for each £1 Bond to win a prize in almost 15 years.

Additional prizes and the prize fund

Alongside the two million-pound winners, the August draw saw an extra £30 million added to the prize fund, with 455,390 additional prizes available for bondholders to win. In total, a prize fund of over £404 million will be paid out to winners across the country. The breakdown of the prizes includes 77 prizes of £100,000, 154 prizes of £50,000, 307 prizes of £25,000, and various other cash prizes ranging from £1,000 to £25.

Advice for bondholders

Checking for prizes

If you hold NS&I Premium Bonds and want to check if you are a winner, you can use the nsandi.com prize checker or the official prize checker app available on Android or iOS. Additionally, you can use your Alexa-enabled device to check if you have won a prize, whether it is redeemed or unclaimed, as well as receive details about upcoming draws. It is important to keep track of any unclaimed prizes, as there are currently 19,033 unclaimed prizes worth £668,775 in Hereford & Worcester and 50,596 unclaimed prizes worth £1,530,625 in Essex.

Claiming unclaimed prizes

If you have any unclaimed prizes from previous draws, it is advisable to visit the NS&I website for information on how to track them down. In Hereford & Worcester, the largest unclaimed prize is worth £100,000, dating back to the August 2014 draw. In Essex, there are two unclaimed prizes worth £10,000 each, won in the December 2007 and March 2016 draws.

Conclusion

The August NS&I Premium Bonds draw has brought newfound financial prosperity to two individuals, showcasing that becoming a millionaire is attainable for bondholders, regardless of the duration of their investment. The increased prize fund rate of 4% and improved odds have made this month’s draw particularly advantageous for bondholders. Meanwhile, it is crucial for bondholders to check for any unclaimed prizes and to promptly claim them if they are entitled. The NS&I website and Alexa-enabled devices can assist bondholders in tracking down and claiming their unclaimed prizes.