Substantial lottery prizes, including multiple jackpots worth over £1 million, remain unclaimed across the United Kingdom, with winners potentially unaware they hold life-changing tickets.
The Hidden Fortune in Your Home
Every year, millions of pounds in National Lottery winnings go unclaimed. This isn't due to money disappearing, but rather because the winning ticket holders fail to realise their success. These overlooked tickets often hide in jacket pockets, get tucked into drawers, or lie buried within unopened email inboxes.
Meanwhile, the prize funds wait for their legitimate owners to step forward. One of these unclaimed prizes could belong to you. With several significant jackpots still available, a single forgotten ticket has the potential to completely transform your life.
Claiming Your Prize: Deadlines and Procedures
Winners have a strict 180-day window, approximately six months from the draw date, to claim their prizes. If no valid claim is submitted within this deadline, the prize money and any accumulated interest are redirected to fund National Lottery Projects throughout the UK.
The method for claiming your winnings depends on the prize amount:
- Prizes up to £500 can be claimed directly from any authorised National Lottery retailer.
- Prizes between £500 and £50,000 must be claimed online.
- Prizes exceeding £50,000 and all Set For Life monthly winnings require a phone call to the National Lottery on 0333 234 50 50 to confirm and arrange the claim.
Even if your ticket has been damaged or destroyed, you might still make a valid claim by filing an appeal within 30 days of the draw date, providing you can supply the necessary information detailed on the National Lottery website.
Current Unclaimed Jackpots
Several major prizes are currently awaiting discovery:
Lotto - £1 million
A ticket bought in Birmingham for the May 24 draw, with numbers 9, 12, 13, 26, 38, 40, and Bonus Ball 4, must be claimed by November 20.
EuroMillions - £1 million
A winning ticket from the August 15 draw, purchased in Birmingham, has until February 11, 2026, to be claimed.
Lotto - £10,633,323
A second millionaire was created in the October 4 Lotto draw. The ticket, bought in the London Borough of Bexley with numbers 6, 8, 12, 33, 49, 59, and Bonus Ball 42, must be claimed by April 2, 2026.
Set For Life - £10,000 Monthly for One Year
A ticket from the October 16 draw, purchased in West Dorset with numbers 1, 8, 12, 27, 46, and Life Ball 2, remains unclaimed. The deadline is April 14, 2026.
EuroMillions - £1 million
A second EuroMillions prize from the October 31 draw, with numbers 05, 14, 38, 43, 45, and Lucky Stars 07 and 11, was bought in Broxbourne. The holder has until April 29, 2026, to claim.
If you're concerned about gambling, free and confidential support is available through GambleAware or the National Gambling Helpline at 0808 8020 133.
