How to Claim Your Prize

All National Lottery prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the draw taking place. Any prizes unclaimed after that time are donated to good causes.

Jackpots go unclaimed almost every month, and more than £600 million of this unclaimed prize money has been donated to good causes since the National Lottery was launched.

The table below shows just five jackpots that were unclaimed and have now been donated to charity.

Amount	Draw Date	Ticket Location
£7,039,469	7 August 2004	Belfast
£3,987,470	1 January 2005	Richmond-upon-Thames
£3,011,065	6 September 2000	South Hertfordshire
£2,928,214	14 September 2002	Northumberland
£2,852,742	28 July 2004	Lancashire

Claiming Your Prize

The way in which you should claim your prize will depend on the amount you have won.

Free Daily Play Lucky Dip Ticket

If you fail to match any numbers in the Daily Play draw, present your losing ticket to any National Lottery Retailer, who will validate it and issue you with a Daily Play Lucky Dip ticket.

Up to £75

You can claim your winnings from any National Lottery Retailer upon presentation of your ticket. The retailer will validate your ticket and issue your prize.

Between £75 and £200

National Lottery On-Line Retailers can pay prizes between £75 and £200 at their discretion and upon presentation of your ticket. If they do not have the funds to do so, you can return to the same retailer when funds are available, go to another retailer, or go to a National Lottery On-Line Post Office.

However, if a retailer validates your ticket, you must return to that same retailer when funds are available to issue your prize.

Between £200 and £50,000

You can claim your prize from any designated National Lottery On-Line Post Office upon presentation of your ticket. You will need to fill out a prize claim form for any prizes over £500. As the maximum amount payable in cash is £500, any prizes over this amount will be paid by cheque.

You may also claim prizes of up to £50,000 by post. If you are claiming for more than £500 you will need to complete a prize claim form, which are available from your National Lottery Retailer. Send your ticket (and claim form if applicable) to:

The National Lottery
Accounts Department
PO Box 287
Watford WD18 9TT

Over £50,000

Any amount above £50,000 must be claimed in person from a National Lottery Regional Centre and will be paid by cheque. You will also be required to complete a prize claim form and provide proof of your identity.