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How to Claim UK Lottery Prizes
UK lottery prizes are valid for 180 days. After this time, any unclaimed prizes are donated to good causes. The claims process varies depending on which game you played and whether you played online or purchased a ticket from an authorised retailer. This guide will help you find out how to receive payment as quickly and simply as possible:
National Lottery Prizes
Some of the most popular games in the UK are operated by the National Lottery. If you've won a prize in Lotto, EuroMillions, Thunderball or HotPicks then use the table below to check how to receive your winnings.
| How Did You Play? | Prize Value | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to £500 | £501 - £30,000 | £30,001 - £49,999 | £50,000 and over | |
| Played Online (Not Direct Debit) | The money will be paid directly into your National Lottery account | Winnings will be paid into the bank account associated with the debit card that you have used to set up your account. The payment will need to be confirmed before it is issued. | You must call the Customer Care team on 0333 234 44 33. Prizes will be paid by cheque. | Call the National Lottery on 0333 234 44 33 to arrange for your claim to be processed in person. |
| Played Online (Direct Debit) | Winnings will be paid into the bank account associated with your Direct Debit. | Call the National Lottery on 0333 234 44 33 to arrange for your claim to be processed in person. | ||
| Played at a Retailer | You can claim up to £100, potentially £500 at their discretion, from any retailer. Prizes up to £500 can also be redeemed from a designated Post Office. | Allwyn pays out prizes of this value directly. You can submit an online claim, collect from a regional National Lottery centre, or by post. You may have to provide ID. | Call the National Lottery on 0333 234 50 50 to arrange for your claim to be processed in person. | |
Claiming With Multi-Draw Tickets
When you purchase a ticket from a retailer for multiple draws in advance, you do not need to wait until all of those draws have taken place to claim. You can claim prizes won by that ticket at any time.
The value of your prize still determines how you are able to claim. Follow the guidance above to claim your prize; if all of the draws on your ticket have already taken place, you will receive your prize money as normal.
If you claim your prize before all the draws on your ticket have taken place, you will be paid out and you will also receive an Exchange Ticket to replace your original one. The Exchange Ticket will be valid for all draws you entered that have not yet taken place.
You may notice that your entries for any draws that have already concluded will not be stated on the Exchange Ticket – this ensures that prizes cannot be claimed twice.
For advance play online, you will be automatically notified if you win as normal and you must follow the same claims procedure outlined on this page.
National Lottery Regional Claim Centres and Post Offices
There are two National Lottery regional claim centres where players can claim prizes up to and including £50,000. They are based in Watford and Liverpool at the following addresses, but are not for general walk-in claims. You must make an appointment before visiting by calling the telephone numbers listed below.
Watford Centre
Tolpits Lane
Watford, Herts
WD18 9RN
Tel: 01923 425000
Liverpool Centre
Unit 5, Tiger Court
Kings Drive, Kings Business Park
Prescot, Knowsley, Liverpool
L34 1BH
Tel: 0151 236 1796
Prizes over £500 and up to £50,000 must be claimed at one of these regional lottery centres. Prizes up to £500 can also be claimed from some lottery retailers or from designated National Lottery post offices. There are over 11,500 branches of the post office in the UK, some of which are even open on Sundays. Check with the Royal Mail whether your local branch offers lottery prize payments as one of its services.
Please note that lottery retailers can but are not required to pay out prizes of between £100 and £500. If there are insufficient funds on hand to pay out your prize, you may need to find another retailer or post office to claim it.
Claiming by Post
You will need to send your winning ticket, along with any proof of ID and forms requested, to the address below via recorded or tracked delivery. No responsibility will be taken for lost tickets.
The National Lottery
Accounts Department
PO Box 287
Watford
WD18 9TT
At the top of the claim form, fill out your personal details and sign it to confirm you are legally eligible to collect the prize. A witness will also need to be present to sign the form. Give your permission for the winning retailer who sold your ticket to be notified about the win – they will be informed about the prize amount for promotional purposes but your name will not be released. At the bottom of the form you need to provide banking details so that the prize can be paid.
Please note, EuroMillions prizes are only payable in the country where the ticket was purchased. So if you purchased a ticket whilst abroad, unfortunately, you will not be able to redeem your winnings in the UK.
Set For Life Annuity Prizes
If you win the top prize in Set For Life, you will receive an annuity of £10,000 a month for 30 years rather than a one-off payment. To claim, you must phone the National Lottery and an appointment will then be set up for you to meet with Allwyn representatives.
A broker will also be present to help set up your annuity policy, and you will be required to complete an annuity application form. You must provide proof of identification and any certificates recording any change of name (if applicable). The National Lottery will pay the first payment directly, but all subsequent payments will go via the annuity provider. The annuity policy will be in place within four weeks of the validation meeting.
If you win Set For Life’s second prize, you receive £10,000 a month for a year. You must phone the National Lottery to set up a meeting and have your claim validated, and Allwyn will then set up a standing order to make your payments every month.
Health Lottery
For online players, prizes up to £2,000 will be paid into your player account automatically and can then be withdrawn into your bank account. Withdrawals can take up to 14 working days to be fully processed. For amounts over £2,000, contact the Health Lottery at 0844 375 55 55 to arrange collection of your prize.
Retail players will need to retain their winning ticket to make any claims. Prizes up to £50 can be redeemed from any authorised retailer or participating Post Office. For winnings between £51 and £250, visit any designated Post Office to collect your winnings. For any larger prizes, please contact 0844 375 55 55.
Postcode Lottery
Winning customers who buy tickets via Direct Debit will have their prize paid into their bank account within 28 days, regardless of whether they signed up with a debit card, credit card or PayPal. If your bank account hasn't been registered, then you'll need to ring the People's Postcode Lottery on 0808 1098765 in order to arrange to receive your winnings.
Irish Lotto
If you entered through our online affiliate, Jackpot.com, then prizes up to €1,000 will be paid directly into your account. If you're lucky enough to win a larger amount, then you can contact their support team directly for instructions.
If you purchased a winning ticket from a retailer or online, then the procedures are outlined in this table:
| How Did You Play? | Prize Value | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to €99 | €100 - €499 | €500 - €9,999 | €10,000 - €14,999 | €15,000 and over | |
| Online | The money will be paid directly into your player account | A cheque will be sent to the postal address registered on your account | Prizes will be also be paid by cheque, but ID and a claim form must be provided first | Visit the Irish Lottery headquarters to receive your cheque following ticket validation | |
| Retailer | Redeem your winnings at any authorised National Lottery retailer in Ireland | Go to a designated Post Office to make your claim | Visit the Irish Lottery headquarters to receive your cheque following ticket validation | ||
Here is the full address for the headquarters:
National Lottery
Abbey Street Lower
Dublin 1
Free Lottery
In the event that you win a prize in the Free Lottery Daily Draw or Weekly Draw, contact us within 2 working days to make your claim.