Map reveals unclaimed UK lottery prizes and there are five £1million winning tickets

MOST of us would not wait to claim a lottery prize if we won a draw.

A big win could allow you to go on the trip of a lifetime, pay off your mortgage or retire.

One lorry driver even quit his job just minutes after he found out he had won £330,000 in a lottery draw last February.

But a surprising number of winners never cash in their ticket – which means millions of pounds go unclaimed every year.

There are currently nine lottery prizes up for grabs, which are worth a combined £9,064,694.

The biggest winner of this group lives in Sevenoaks, Kent.

They matched all six numbers in a Set For Life draw in October, which means they have won £10,000 every month for 30 years.

The clock is ticking as they have until April to claim their prize.

There are also five £1million prizes which are still unclaimed.

The unaware millionaires live in Lambeth, Bury, Swansea, Sefton and Buckinghamshire.

Meanwhile, one lucky winner has just two months left to claim their winnings.

So how do so many prizes go unclaimed each year?

Here we explain what happens when you win big and how to claim the cash.

What happens when you win a prize?

After you win the lottery you have 180 days to claim your prize.

There are different ways to claim your prize depending on where you bought the ticket.

A special team at the National Lottery will publicise unclaimed prizes if they are worth £50,000 or more.

Publicity manager Patrick Lisoire explains that winners often get caught up in their own lives and can forget to check their tickets.

“Winners have busy lives,” he said. “Some people save up a stack of tickets and check them every few weeks. 

“Others forget to check in the lead up to Christmas, birthdays or holidays and decide to check them when they get back.”

This was the case for builder Andrew Clarke in 2018.

The 51-year-old found the winning ticket for a £76million EuroMillions jackpot in the visor of his van six weeks after the draw.

He had been urged to check his tickets by his partner and niece, who had heard about the unclaimed prize on the news. 

At the time he said: “It almost feels like some magical Christmas story, the man who nearly lost £76 million!”

If a prize is unclaimed after a couple of weeks then Patrick and his team will try and raise awareness in the nearby community.

They will put ads in football clubs in the area or will talk about the prize on the local radio station.

He said: “We try and raise awareness. The more we shout about a prize, the more likely someone is to claim it.

“In the vast majority of cases, the prize does get claimed within the 180-day deadline.”

But some prizes are never cashed in and eventually expire.

One player bagged a staggering £63.8million – but never claimed their winnings.

The winner bought the EuroMillions ticket in the Stevenage or Hitchin area of Hertfordshire.

The ticket matched all five numbers in the draw on June 8, 2012.

Patrick’s team visited Stevenage and Hitchin with two giant billboards mounted on trucks, which read: “Are you the lucky £63.8million winner?”

But despite their best efforts the winner never came forward.

If you do not come forward in time then the prize and any interest earned on it will go to National Lottery Projects.

The cash is given to museums, sports clubs and conservation projects.

How do you claim a National Lottery prize?

How can claim your prize depends on where you bought your ticket.

If you play online then you should never have an unclaimed prize.

This is because you need to create an account to buy a lottery ticket online. 

If you win then you will get an email to say that you should log into your online account.

Tickets which were bought by direct debit will be automatically paid into your bank account.

Prizes of up to £500 can be claimed at the Post Office.

You can claim a Scratchcard or draw game prize of between £500 and £50,000 at a National Lottery retailer.

You need to have your ticket or Scratchcard to hand.

If you think your winning ticket has been lost, stolen, destroyed or damaged then you have around a month to tell the National Lottery.

It must receive your notification by 5pm on the 30th day after the relevant draw.

There is an online form you need to download and complete.

You will be asked for your address, the date and time you bought the ticket and the name of the game.

Once you have filled it in you must send it to the National Lottery via email or post.

Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing money-sm@news.co.uk.

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