NS&I Premium Bonds: How to check prizes as winners in Sheffield and South Yorkshire pocket over £350,000
Two lucky people in the UK have become millionaires in this month’s Premium Bonds draw.
In Sheffield and South Yorkshire, 41 people have received prizes between £5,000 and £50,000, and lots more will win smaller prizes upwards from £25.
One of the new millionaires is from Derbyshire, and the other from Gloucestershire.
How can you check if you’ve been lucky this month, and how does the prize draw work? Here is everything you need to know.
What are Premium Bonds?
NS&I’s Premium Bonds are a savings product where people can buy bonds and be entered into a monthly prize draw instead of earning regular interest.
Bondholders can check if they have won prizes through the NS&I App or website at the beginning of each month.
You can buy bonds directly from NS&I, with a minimum purchase of £25.
Each bond is worth £1, and each bond number has an equal chance of winning, regardless of its purchase date or value.
When does the Premium Bonds draw take place, and how does it work?
The Premium Bonds draw happens at the start of every month, based on the bonds in existence the month before.
For example, the draw on November 2 is based on the bonds held for the whole month of October.
The exact dates of the draws are announced in advance by NS&I, and the results are usually available by the second working day of the month at the latest.
A random number generator is responsible for establishing the winners.
It generates numbers which correspond to individual bond numbers, a method which ensures every bond has an equal chance of winning.
Who are the winners in Sheffield and South Yorkshire this month?
£350,000 has gone to the 41 high-value winners in Sheffield and South Yorkshire this month.
They make up 1.25% of the 3,270 high-value winners across the UK who pocketed £5,000 or more in this round.
Two people in South Yorkshire won £50,000, with one of those having the lowest bond holding of all the winners in the region, at £1,300.
Though that is a relatively low holding, it’s about time, as this winner bought their bonds almost 25 years ago in August 2000.
Another holder, who bought their bonds just three months ago in July, has won £5,000.
Someone who bought theirs in May won £10,000.
How can I check if I’ve won a prize?
The NS&I Prize Checker App allows users to check their bond numbers on the go.
You can also check through the NS&I website.
NS&I also provides a dedicated phone service where bondholders can call to check their numbers, and winners of smaller prizes can also choose to be informed by post.