Lost Premium Bonds: How to Trace Old Bonds and Unclaimed Prizes

Finding an old Premium Bond certificate in a drawer does not mean the Bonds are worthless or expired.

NS&I says old Premium Bonds remain valid as long as they have not been cashed in, and unclaimed prizes are held for you with no time limit to claim them.

If you have lost track of Premium Bonds:

1. log in to NS&I if you can;
2. find your Premium Bonds holder's number;
3. ask NS&I for a replacement Bond record if you have lost the paperwork;
4. use NS&I's tracing service if you are not even sure whether you still hold Bonds;
5. use the official prize checker to look for current and older unclaimed prizes; and
6. update your name, address and bank details so future prizes reach you.

Do not pay a third party to trace Premium Bonds. NS&I and My Lost Account provide free routes.

Yes, if they were never cashed in.

NS&I's current guidance says old Premium Bonds are still valid and continue to be entered into the monthly prize draw.

Age alone does not cancel them.

A Bond bought decades ago can therefore still:

• remain part of your holding;
• be eligible for draws; and
• have unclaimed prizes attached to it.

Your Bonds are grouped under a holder's number.

NS&I says a holder's number can have:

• 10 digits;
• 9 digits; or
• 8 digits followed by a letter.

This is different from an NS&I number, which is another customer identifier.

For the website prize checker, NS&I says you need the Premium Bonds holder's number.

Its app can also accept an NS&I number.

If you are registered for NS&I's online service, log in and check the Premium Bonds account page.

If you are not registered or no longer have the documents, NS&I says you can:

• call for a replacement Bond record; or
• write and ask for a replacement record.

The replacement Bond record shows the Bonds you hold and the holder's number.

Old certificates or letters can also contain Bond numbers even where the holder number is missing.

Use NS&I's tracing service.

NS&I specifically says its Tracing Service can help if you think you may own Premium Bonds but are not sure.

My Lost Account also covers lost NS&I products.

When tracing, provide as much information as possible:

• current name;
• previous names;
• current address;
• previous addresses;
• approximate dates;
• old Bond numbers;
• holder number if partly known; and
• details of who may have bought the Bonds for you.

Premium Bonds are often bought for children, so the original purchaser's paperwork can be useful.

Use NS&I's official prize checker or app.

NS&I says the prize checker can show:

• current-month prizes;
• prizes from the previous six draws; and
• older prizes that remain unclaimed.

If you cannot use the online service, you can write to NS&I asking for your prize history.

Include enough information for it to identify the holding.

No.

NS&I says there is no time limit for claiming an unclaimed Premium Bonds prize.

It keeps the prize until the holder gets in touch.

That makes tracing old holdings worthwhile even if the Bonds were bought decades ago.

As of September 2026, NS&I reported more than 2.85 million unclaimed prizes worth about £126.8 million waiting to be claimed. Those figures change over time, so treat them as a dated snapshot rather than a permanent total.

NS&I's published historical-prize information classes a prize that remains uncashed for 18 months as unclaimed.

That classification does not remove your entitlement.

The prize remains claimable.

If you are writing to NS&I about an unclaimed prize, its current guidance asks for details including:

• Premium Bonds holder's number;
• current name;
• previous names;
• current address;
• previous addresses where the Bonds may have been registered; and
• your signature.

If your details changed since the prize was won, provide both old and current information.

Do not try to use the deceased person's online login as though you were them.

NS&I has a bereavement process for dealing with savings and investments after death.

The personal representative may need to provide:

• death details;
• evidence of identity;
• the holder's information; and
• estate authority depending on the circumstances.

For broader tracing, our guide explains how to find bank and savings accounts belonging to someone who died.

Premium Bond holdings can also be included in a My Lost Account search for a deceased person.

Keep them.

A Bond number is evidence that can help NS&I trace the holding.

NS&I's historical winning-number downloads also publish winning Bond numbers, but manually checking decades of lists is not the efficient first route.

Use the official prize checker and tracing process linked to the holder where possible.

Yes.

NS&I says that if you find old Bonds, you can contact it to have them added to your online account.

Once the holding is properly linked, it becomes much easier to:

• see your Bond numbers;
• check prizes;
• update details; and
• manage future prize payment preferences.

Usually because NS&I cannot reach the holder or payment details are no longer current.

Common reasons include:

• moving home;
• changing name;
• old bank details;
• lost correspondence; or
• the Bonds being bought for a child many years ago.

NS&I recommends keeping contact and bank details up to date.

It also says around nine in ten prizes are now paid directly to bank accounts or reinvested, reducing the chance they become unclaimed.

No.

NS&I provides free tracing and prize-checking routes.

My Lost Account is also free.

Do not hand identity documents or pay a percentage of a recovered prize to an unofficial finder before using the official services.

That is a different decision.

Finding the holding tells you what you own. It does not answer whether Premium Bonds are the best home for your money now.

For that, compare:

• current prize fund;
• odds;
• tax position;
• guaranteed savings rates;
• access needs; and
• the value you place on prize variability.

Our guide on Premium Bonds not winning explains the trade-off.

Browse all our savings guides.

• NS&I — Revisiting your Premium Bonds
• NS&I — Check unclaimed prizes
• NS&I — Checking Premium Bonds prizes
• My Lost Account — Start a search
• NS&I — September 2026 Premium Bonds release

Related: Premium Bonds Not Winning | Lost Savings Accounts | Find Bank Accounts in Your Name.