Two fortunate Premium Bond holders from Liverpool and Bedfordshire each won a £1 million prize, officially announced by National Savings & Investments. The winning Bond number for the first £1 million prize this month is 489TB013219, owned by an individual from Central Bedfordshire, who acquired the Bond in February 2022, reaching the maximum limit of £50,000 per person set by NS&I. The second £1 million jackpot Bond number is 040QJ919368, held by a resident of Liverpool, who also holds the maximum £50,000 and purchased the winning Bond in October 2004.
These winners are part of over 6.1 million Premium Bond prizes totaling £408 million drawn by ERNIE this month. ERNIE, short for Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment, utilizes advanced technology to generate random numbers for the monthly prize draw. This month’s draw brings the total winnings for Premium Bond holders to £40 billion since the inaugural draw in 1957, awarding 815 million prizes in total.
While two individuals secured £1 million each, most prizes are smaller, with 78 Bond holders winning £100,000 each and 154 receiving £50,000 each. Additionally, there were 2,643,007 prizes valued at £25 each.
Andrew Westhead, NS&I retail director, expressed his congratulations to the jackpot winners from Central Bedfordshire and Liverpool, who are now each £1 million richer as they enter February. Westhead highlighted the significant total prize payouts this month, exceeding £408 million and bringing the overall winnings for Premium Bond holders to £40 billion since the inception.
Premium Bonds provide a tax-free opportunity for savers to allocate funds while having the chance to win prizes. Individuals can hold up to £50,000 in Premium Bonds, backed by the Treasury. Newly purchased Premium Bonds must be held for a full calendar month before being eligible for the prize draw.
The jackpot prize was raised to £1 million starting from the April 1994 draw, with two £1 million prizes now awarded each month. Bond holders can verify their prizes on the first working day of each month through the Premium Bonds prize checker app or the NS&I website, with the next update scheduled for Tuesday, February 3.
Winners receive notifications of their prizes monthly via email or text if they have registered their contact details. However, NS&I cautioned that failing to update contact or bank details may lead to missing out on prizes. Presently, there are over 2.7 million unclaimed prizes worth nearly £114.8 million awaiting collection.