The search is on to find eight lucky National Lottery winners who are yet to claim their prizes – which range from monthly payments to one-off million-pound jackpots.
A staggering £7.2 million in unclaimed prizes is currently waiting for winners to come forward, with interest continuing to accumulate.
Players have 180 days from the draw date to claim their winnings before the money goes elsewhere.
Among the unclaimed fortunes are two major prizes: a Set For Life jackpot worth £3.6 million and half of a £3.8 million Lotto prize.
Lottery workers even descended on Sevenoaks station early Monday morning to urge commuters to check their tickets
NATIONAL LOTTERY
The Kent commuter town of Sevenoaks is home to one lucky winner who has until April 22 to claim their Set For Life prize of £10,000 per month for 30 years.
This jackpot, worth the equivalent of £3.6 million, remains unclaimed despite efforts to find the winner.
Lottery workers even descended on Sevenoaks station early Monday morning to urge commuters to check their tickets, however their searches proved fruitless as the clock continues to tick on the 180-day deadline.
The winning numbers for this life-changing prize, drawn on 24 October, are 2, 11, 29, 37, 45 with Life Ball 6.
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Meanwhile, the hunt continues for one of two winners of a £3.8 million Lotto jackpot from the March 1 draw.
One lucky ticket-holder has already claimed their half of the prize on Thursday, but the second winner has yet to come forward to collect their life-changing sum.
Paper ticket holders are particularly at risk of missing out compared to online players, who receive email and phone reminders to check their accounts.
There have been a number of close calls where winners almost missed their jackpot deadlines.
Terry and Lynn Patience from Barking claimed £2.5 million when it was “not far off the deadline” after their daughter heard about it on the radio in 2007.
“They just hadn’t got round to it,” said Patrick Lisoire, consumer communications manager at National Lottery operator Allwyn. “They didn’t think they would have won anything, it completely slipped their mind.”
The closest call came in 2015, when a claim was made for a £4.6 million prize in Barking and Dagenham with just three days until the deadline.
The largest unclaimed prize ever was a EuroMillions jackpot worth £63,837,543.60 from June 2012.
While one person or family may miss out on a life-changing jackpot, the unclaimed prize money doesn’t go to waste.
All unclaimed money – and any interest it’s earned – goes to the National Lottery Good Causes fund after the 180-day deadline passes.
“If you break down the national lottery, there’s only actually two reasons why it exists. To pay out life-changing prizes to winners, and to benefit the country as a whole,” explained Lisoire.
The fund has helped finance major projects such as the London 2012 Olympics, the Eden Project and the Angel of the North.
It’s also supported smaller community initiatives, including city farms and Wales’ first gay pride march.
The National Lottery has awarded 685,000 individual grants to date.
The National Lottery has awarded 685,000 individual grants to date (Stock Image)
PA
The following lottery prizes currently remain unclaimed: £1 million EuroMillions prize from 18 October, bought in Swansea (deadline 16 April).
£10,000 monthly for 30 years from 24 October, bought in Sevenoaks District (deadline 22 April).
£321,840.60 EuroMillions prize from 19 November, bought in Winchester (deadline 18 May).
£1 million EuroMillions prize from 27 December, bought in Wiltshire (deadline 25 June).
£137,981.30 EuroMillions prize from 31 December, bought in Huntingdonshire (deadline 29 June).
£106,738.50 EuroMillions prize from 7 February, bought in Barnet (deadline 6 August).
£1 million EuroMillions prize from 14 February, bought in Liverpool (deadline 13 August).
£10,000 monthly for 1 year Set For Life prize from 20 February, bought in Vale of Glamorgan (deadline 19 August).