• Many lottery prizes go unclaimed, with winners having just six months to collect their winnings
• You could be unknowingly holding a winning ticket in your wallet, purse or online account
• Prizes of £500 or less can be claimed in-store, while higher amounts require online claims or a phone call
• Check the list of unclaimed tickets to see if you’re a lucky winner!

Many dream of us hitting the National Lottery jackpot, but what if you’ve already won and don’t even know it?

It’s surprising how often lottery prizes go unclaimed. With winners usually having up to six months to come forward, countless lucky tickets are left forgotten.

That winning ticket could be in your wallet, hidden in a bag, or quietly waiting in an online account. Check the list below – your life-changing prize might still be waiting for you!

Winning lottery ticket holders have 180 days (approximately six months) from the draw date to claim the prize.

If a valid claim is not received within this timeframe, the money and any interest earned on it goes to National Lottery Projects across the UK.

Prize winnings of £500 and under can be claimed in store from a National Lottery retailer – that is, an authorised store or outlet where you can purchase lottery tickets, like newsagents, supermarkets and petrol stations.

Prizes over £500 and up to and including £50,000 can be claimed online.

For prizes over £50,000, and monthly prize winnings (Set For Life), winning ticket holders should call the National Lottery on 0333 234 50 50 to confirm and arrange the winning claim.

If your ticket has been damaged or destroyed, you still may be able to make a valid claim, however, an appeal should be filed within 30 days of the draw date.

Euromillions – £1m

A Millionaire Maker winner is out there, with this winning ticket having been drawn on 3 September.

The ticket holder – who purchased their ticket in the London Borough of Lambeth – needs to claim it by 2 March 2025.

Euromillions – £1m

A second would-be millionaire is yet to come forward. The draw in question took place on 4 October, and the lucky ticket holder has until 2 April 2025 to come forward. The ticket was bought in the Metropolitan Borough of Bury.

Euromillions – £1m

A third would-be millionaire is still ‘at large’. The draw in question took place on 18 October, and the lucky ticket holder has until 16 April 2025 to come forward. The ticket was bought in the Swansea area.

Euromillions – £1m

A fourth millionaire is out there. The draw in question took place on 5 November, and the lucky ticket holder has until 4 May 2025 to come forward. The ticket was bought in the Thanet area.

Lotto HotPicks – £350,000

A resident from Birmingham is sitting on over a quarter of a million pounds, with the winning numbers 7, 20, 33, 50, 51, 57 being drawn on 18 September. They have until 17 March 2025 to claim their winnings.

Set For Life – £10,000 a month for a year

Drawn on 21 October with the numbers 8, 15, 19, 32, 38 (Life Ball 9), this Match 5 prize level ticket was purchased somewhere within the London Borough of Barnet. The lucky holder has until 19 April 2025 to claim it.

Set For Life – £30,000 a month for a year

A Match 5 + Life Ball prize ticket with the numbers 2, 11, 29, 37, 45 (Life Ball 6) was drawn on 24 October and purchased in Sevenoaks. The ticket holder has until 22 April 2025 to claim their prize.

Have you checked your tickets yet? Don’t miss out on the chance to claim your winnings! We’d love to hear from you – share your thoughts, stories or any winning experiences in the comments section.