Premium Bonds saver with just £5 in Bonds held for 40 years wins £10k | Personal Finance | Finance

Several Premium Bonds winners who previously held just hundreds of pounds or less in Bonds have won big prizes in the October draw.

One saver from Norwich took home £10,000 after holding just £5 in Bonds, which they purchased over 40 years ago in August 1980. Their winning Bond was number 7ET566017.

Another longtime saver with low holdings from the Wirral took home a big prize. They previously had £25 in Bonds which they bought in May 1984 and won £5,000 with winning Bond 12LB724884.

One lucky £100,000 winner previously had just £275 in Bonds – they purchased their winning Bond five years ago in January 2019.

Other savers who had low holdings but took home a big prize include a saver from North East Scotland who had just £300 in Bonds and who won £50,000.

Another £50,000 winner from Lincolnshire previously had just £500 in Bonds, which they purchased just months ago in January 2024.

There are two £1million jackpot prizes in each draw. The first top prize in the October draw went to a saver from Derbyshire with winning Bond number 535MK963637, which they purchased in March 2023.

The other big prize went to a customer from Gloucestershire for winning Bond number 203JB525288, which they bought in February 2013.

Each £1 Bond has an equal chance of being paired with a prize, and many people set up their account so any winnings are used to buy more Bonds.

You can check if you have any prizes to collect using the prize checker tool on the NS&I website, as well as via the app or using an Alexa-enabled device.

The prize fund rate for Premium Bonds is currently 4.4 percent, with the odds of winning at 21,000 to one. All prizes in the Government-backed savings scheme are tax-free.

Customers can arrange for their prizes to be paid into their bank account, reinvested in buying more Bonds, or to receive a cheque in the post.

Guidance on the NS&I website about high value prizes states: “For £10,000 and £5,000 prizes, we’ll pay your prize as per your instructions.

“Please note, we may send you a claim form, that you must complete and send back to us before we can pay your prize to you. Claim forms (where relevant) are sent on the third working day of the month.”