NS&I has announced the jackpot winners for Premium Bonds for March 2025, with two lucky savers becoming millionaires overnight, changing their lives forever.
The two jackpot winners hail from Cleveland, North Yorkshire, and Cumbria. The Cleveland winner holds just £100 worth of Premium Bonds, purchased in May 2023, and their winning bond number is 540HZ735699. This remarkable win marks one of the smallest holdings ever to receive the £1 million jackpot, making headlines and sparking excitement for future entrants.
The second millionaire from Cumbria has significantly more invested, with £35,000 shared across their bonds. The winning roll number for this jackpot is 408VD714629, with the winning bond purchased back in August 2020. Notably, this makes them the eleventh jackpot winner from Cumbria, demonstrating the region's luck.
Andrew Westhead, NS&I Retail Director, commented, "Spring is definitely in the air for our two jackpot winners from Cleveland and Cumbria this month. The Cleveland winner’s story is particularly exciting, with just £100 invested in Premium Bonds in 2023. It just shows every £1 Bond has the same chance of winning the £1 million jackpot. This is the second smallest holding ever to win the £1 million jackpot. The smallest holding ever was £17 back in July 2004 with the winning Bond purchased back in 1959.”
The March draw saw over 5.9 million prizes awarded, amounting to more than £432 million. The total value of prizes for this month breaks down as follows: there are two prizes of £1 million, 83 worth £100,000, 164 worth £50,000, and many more smaller pizes to round out the total. With competitive odds of 22,000 to 1 for every £1 bond, this scheme remains popular among savers.
This draw's statistics indicate how well Premium Bonds, originally launched by NS&I, continue to provide excitement and investment potential, albeit without the benefit of paying traditional interest. The March 2025 prize pool saw various amounts from £25 to the grand prize of £1 million, reflecting the interest and investment potential for over 24 million participants and more than £127 billion invested.
For those interested, Premium Bonds provide people the chance to earn tax-free prizes rather than interest, with each bond being entered automatically each month. The minimum investment for joining is £25 and the maximum is £50,000. These security-backed bonds by HM Treasury allow savers to sleep soundly, knowing their funds are safe.
Investors eager to learn if they’ve won this month’s draw can check their entries starting March 4, by using the NS&I website or the dedicated app which is available on both iOS and Android. To check their bonds securely, savers need to have their unique bond numbers ready, which can also help against unclaimed prizes.
Despite success, there remain unclaimed prizes worth nearly £95 million, involving approximately 2.5 million prizes left waiting for their winners. According to NS&I, failures to claim often result from outdated contact information or changing addresses, leading to situations where savers forget or cannot reach NS&I. For those residing in Cumbria, unclaimed prizes cumulatively amount to £535,075, with the largest unclaimed individual prize worth £1,000. Cleveland also has £428,225 worth of unclaimed prizes, begging the question of how many are simply waiting to be discovered.
NS&I emphasizes the importance of keeping contact details up to date, especially for winners who may wish to receive their cash prizes directly to their bank accounts or reinvested back. Most winners opt for speedy payments through direct bank deposits instead of checks, enhancing convenience and reliability.
With April's draw set to lower the prize fund rate to 3.8%, the distribution of winning odds remains unchanged. This shift means savers will effectively see their returns slightly lower moving forward. Still, Premium Bonds potential remains appealing for those valuing the thrill of monthly draws, even if traditional interest-bearing accounts often outperform.
The announcement of the March winners, with such contrasting holdings, reiterates the democratic nature of Premium Bonds. Although the odds may seem slim, it only takes one lucky ticket to transform lives. For anyone yet to take the plunge, the scheme presents not only hope but also the chance to engage with the excitement of potentially life-altering winnings.
To participate or follow the monthly results, interested parties can easily access information through the NS&I website or reach out via the customer service helpline to explore options for both claiming prizes and managing investments.