{"id":788722,"date":"2026-10-01T16:38:14","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T16:38:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/788722\/"},"modified":"2026-10-01T16:38:14","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T16:38:14","slug":"nsi-announces-october-2026-premium-bonds-millionaires","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/788722\/","title":{"rendered":"NS&I announces October 2026 Premium Bonds millionaires"},"content":{"rendered":"

Two new millionaires have been made in October’s Premium Bonds draw, giving a pair of lucky savers a life-changing start to the month.<\/p>\n

Both have scooped the biggest prize on offer from National Savings and Investments (NS&I), as the latest jackpot winners are revealed.<\/p>\n

Each month, Premium Bonds holders have the chance to win tax-free prizes ranging from \u00a325 to \u00a31million, with two savers taking home the top prize.<\/p>\n

This October, the \u00a31million jackpots have gone to holders in East Sussex and Somerset.<\/p>\n

The East Sussex winner holds \u00a350,000 in Premium Bonds, the maximum permitted, and secured their windfall with Bond number 331QY484133.<\/p>\n

Their winning Bond was part of a \u00a35,900 purchase made in May 2018, meaning it has delivered the jackpot more than eight years later.<\/p>\n

The Somerset winner, meanwhile, has a total holding of \u00a316,000 and won with Bond number 681KK770541.<\/p>\n

That Bond was part of an \u00a311,000 purchase made in July 2026, bringing a \u00a31million payout just months after it was bought.<\/p>\n

The two results highlight the different routes to a jackpot: one winning Bond dates back years, while the other is a recent purchase.<\/p>\n

Andrew Westhead, NS&I Retail Director, said: “ERNIE is still bringing the excitement of tax-free prizes nearly 70 years after Premium Bonds first went on sale in November 1956.<\/p>\n

\"ManHave your chances of winning a Premium Bonds prize improved? | GETTY \/ NS&I <\/p>\n

“This month the 587th and 588th \u00a31million jackpot winners were drawn, along with more than 6.5 million other tax-free prizes ranging from \u00a3100,000 to \u00a325.<\/p>\n

“Our Somerset winner only bought their winning bond in July this year, while our East Sussex winner waited eight years for the jackpot, showing that whenever you invest in Premium Bonds, you never know when a big prize might be coming your way.”<\/p>\n

Every eligible \u00a31 Bond has the same chance of winning, although holding more Bonds gives savers more entries in each draw.<\/p>\n

Beyond the two million-pound windfalls, October’s draw awarded 6,546,849 prizes worth a combined \u00a3498,378,775.<\/p>\n

\"ManThe bank’s one-year fixed bond has seen a notable jump from 3.30 per cent to 3.70 per cent | GETTY<\/p>\n

These included 96 prizes of \u00a3100,000 and 191 worth \u00a350,000, alongside 382 payouts of \u00a325,000. The smallest \u00a325 prizes accounted for more than 1.7 million of the awards.<\/p>\n

Other holders will be able to check whether they have won from Friday, October 2, when NS&I\u2019s prize checker updates with the latest results.<\/p>\n

Savers using the online checker will need their Premium Bonds holder\u2019s number.<\/p>\n

The current annual prize fund rate is 4.35 per cent, with odds of 21,000 to one for each \u00a31 Bond to win a prize in a monthly draw.<\/p>\n

However, the prize fund rate is not a guaranteed return. Premium Bonds do not pay interest, and an individual saver\u2019s winnings depend on which numbers are drawn.<\/p>\n

The minimum purchase is \u00a325, and holders can save up to \u00a350,000. <\/p>\n

New Bonds must be held for a full calendar month before becoming eligible, so those bought during October will first enter December\u2019s draw.<\/p>\n

NS&I is backed by HM Treasury, protecting the money savers put in.<\/p>\n

While the prospect of a tax-free windfall is part of the appeal, holders should remember that they may win nothing and inflation can reduce their savings\u2019 purchasing power over time.<\/p>\n

\"Premium<\/p>\n

NS&I is backed by HM Treasury, protecting the money savers put in<\/p>\n

| GETTY<\/p>\n

Premium Bonds holders can check whether they have won a prize in October’s draw from Friday, October 2.<\/p>\n

Prizes ranging from \u00a325 to \u00a3100,000 can be checked through the NS&I website, the Premium Bonds prize checker app or Alexa.<\/p>\n

Anyone checking through the NS&I website will need their Premium Bonds holder’s number. App users can enter either their holder’s number or their NS&I number.<\/p>\n

Winners who have registered their contact details can receive prize notifications by email or text, depending on their chosen method.<\/p>\n

However, almost 2.9 million prizes worth more than \u00a3128million remain unclaimed.<\/p>\n

NS&I said more than 99 per cent of prizes have been paid since the draw began in 1957. Some go unclaimed because holders move home or change their contact or bank details without updating NS&I.<\/p>\n

Anyone who thinks they may have an unclaimed prize more than 18 months old can check using their holder’s number on the NS&I website or prize checker app.<\/p>\n

In Somerset, 23,657 prizes worth \u00a31,105,350 remain unclaimed, including a \u00a350,000 prize won in April 2024. In East Sussex, 44,414 prizes worth \u00a31,982,900 are waiting to be claimed. These include three \u00a325,000 prizes, two worth \u00a310,000 and six worth \u00a35,000.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Two new millionaires have been made in October’s Premium Bonds draw, giving a pair of lucky savers a…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":788723,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[84,59,2222,134891,52930,56,54,55],"class_list":["post-788722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-business","tag-business","tag-gb","tag-money","tag-nsi","tag-premium-bonds","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=788722"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/788722\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/788723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=788722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=788722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=788722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}