PREMIUM BONDS APRIL 2026 (title edited by MNHQ at request of OP)

[Blondeshavemorefun]

PB have been about since 1957
Been 30yrs (April 2024) since a million was then the highest prize
nsandi-corporate.com/news-research/news/30-years-premium-bonds-ps1-million-jackpots#

Each bond is £1. You have to buy in minimum of £25 so means 25 chances to win every purchase - years ago you could buy £1 at a time.

Odds of winning £1 million on Premium Bonds at face value are 1 in 2,489,469,818 if you have £25 in PBs.

However most people have more than £25 so the odds depend on how much you do hold.

If you have £100 the odds in any given month are 1 in 49,563,028
£1,000 in PB the odds are 1 in 4,954,991
£50,000 in PB the odds are 1 in 96,839

To win anything odds are 1 in 22000

So providing you have more than £100 you have better odds than winning the lottery 😄
And obviously far better than the lottery - you don’t lose your stake !!!!!!

Bonds have to be in for a clear month before going into the draw
If you want to cash bonds in then usually takes 3 days to go into your account

Winnings can be reinvested if holdings are under £50k

This means they will go into the next months draw without losing a month

Or sent to named bank account if winnings take over FH /want winnings in bank account

More info here
www.moneyhelper.org.uk/en/savings/types-of-savings/premium-bonds

The best time to buy premium bonds is on the last day of the month, as this means they are only held by NSI for one month and one day, without being entered into the prize draw.

Martin Lewis’s opinion on pb - quite an interesting read
https://www.saga.co.uk/money-news/premium-bonds

PB to me is the fun and thrill each month of what if I win big and a millionaire - to then hoping win thousands to a day or two later being grateful if win £25😂

I have nowhere near the maximum and probably never will unless I win £50k + on pb

But only takes one £1 to win that million !!!

I love seeing the low holdings win high amounts

We've seen over the years £100 holding win a million (March 25) also a £100 holding win £100k and £50 win £25k and even £1 won £10k

Maximum is £50k per person so some do have all for family- mum dad and 2 kids so £200k etx

Those on the thread are varying from few hundred /few thousand - to 20/30k to full holdings of £50k

Everyone is welcome to join in whether small or full holdings

One would expect if had full holdings of £50k to win something every month and think over the year to earn the same as if in a high interest account to win around £1800 in prizes at 3.6%

If have £5k average luck is £175 winnings a year

If have £1.5k average luck is £25 once a year

Obviously some people have better 'luck' than others and some worse - Ie full holdings and not winning anything a month or two or even longer

PB odds calculator below

https://pbprizes.com/calculator/

shows the interest rate of the winnings - obv anything over 4% is good as if in an account you wouid be taxed so be more like 3%

In August 2023, we had the highest 4.65% But it has been steadily falling since, and of August 2025 it’s 3.6 %

Estimated prizes in August compared to June:
£1m - same
£100k - 4 less
£50k - 8 less
£25k - 15 less
£10k - 38 less
£5k - 78 less
£1k - 780 less
£500 - 2340 less
£100 and £50 - 16,5872 less each

But

£25 - 371,737 more.

So many of us may win £25 from August but means the higher value prizes are way less 🙀😢

https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/cost-of-living/nsi-premium-bonds-rate-changes-31317737

From google (august 2023) - The consistent winners are the 1.16 million people who have the maximum £50,000.

They hold almost half of all premium bonds and, at current odds of 1/22000 can expect a monthly stream of tax-free prizes:

two a month and three almost every other month, 28 or 29 a year totaling £1800 (3.6% interest on £50k)

From google (Jan 2024) Tho equally With Premium Bonds, for every person who wins £1 million, a lot of people have to win nothing.

So the median average will always be lower than the mean average.

This means that, with average luck, most people will win less than the prize rate each year, regardless of how many bonds they hold

To work out your own personal % rate

Winnings divided by amount have x 100

So say over the year 450 on fh ,1700 on fh and £25 on £1000

450 / 50000 x 100 =.9% so bad

1700/50000 x 100=3.4% so good

25/1000x100=2.5% so an average return

But many on here do have £50k and then consider moving it to an account that pays 4% if their bonds aren't doing very well as would then def get extra money

But remember savings /interest get taxed
PB and their winnings don't

So anything over 3% in winnings is considered good.

People dither whether to pull out from pb and put in high interest account if not winning anything so that they will def earn x amount of interest

But then lose the what if won a million or £100k

If you have PB but not sure if you have ever won esp if moved about a lot

you can write to NS&I. Include these details in the letter:
Current name

Current address

Premium Bond holder number& date of birth

All previous addresses where you might have registered bonds

Your signature

You can send your letter to:
NS&I
Sunderland
SR43 2SB.

There are 2 apps afaik
Cream - prize checker and if won previous month will show a pic - which we all get excited over 😂😂😂

Blue - the app its self works but the showing early often doesn't work for me but those who reinvest their winnings say it shows if won the day before app shows 🙀🙀🙀

Seems the higher the winnings the earlier it shows and can be from 6pm the night before the app shows

And to confuse things I have a White app that is a bookmark - which shows info/list 😄😄😄

Now this has been debated on MANY times but seems to be correct

When do we find out if going to get a visit from AM 😂

The two winners of the £1million prizes will be contacted by Agent Million (AM) 😂😂 the day before the first working day of the corresponding month.

There may however be exceptions to this, such as when the first working day of the month is a bank holiday, for example.

So
AM - Day before first working day - Millionaire knock /call
LIST - First day of working month showing all winners million to £1k winners - which I always put up for those who can't find it
APP - Day after first working day , including weekends - cream app showing all winnings

You can also check to see if have won via this link with your holders number

www.nsandi.com/prize-checker

Hopefully I've covered everything
Good luck one and all 😄

Very late to the placemarking party, so I can share details of agent William’s visit in March ;)

It was really easy, did it all online. I shared the link for the power of attorney and it all got approved.
I think they may have changed it recently, as I first looked into it a year ago and it seemed harder then!

That seemed to go quickly! We're half way there folks. Two weeks today the AMs will have knocked on two doors and the HVW list and full results will be upon us. It's time for the monthly thread singalong:

Ah. Was about to say where were you @PremiumBondJovi- I will have my usual song song

Just over a week to go and here’s a story to give us all hope 😁

Lucky Fin!

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gift/88d3050f11f26e5d

Lucky boy. £16k holdings

Checking in / place marking for the month end disappointment.

Like seeing all the other big winners

Oh wow that’s an amazing story, lucky Fin indeed!!

Very lucky boy and family, however I definitely wouldn't have chosen to publicise it.

ETA I'm not sure that I would have told my DC at such a young age either.

Agree.

That is insanity to tell him. Very poor judgement. Oh dear.

IT would be a nice surprise when he comes of age.

Nightmare if they have other kids though? I didn't click on the link.

Agree, I wouldn't publicise or have told the lad either. I wonder what made them think going so public with it was a good idea and including full names and photos.

It was two stupid decisions from them, to tell him and go public. I wonder if they wanted their ‘fifteen minutes of fame’ or something similar. Hopefully Fin will be OK.

Glad its a short month! Just topped up 250 from my work bonus this month.

I believe 70 - 80 winners get £100k each month.

Someone here got £50k on a holding similar to Finn's too

Just read this story and it’s just struck me my eldest will turn 16 in the summer, she has no idea she has a small amount of bonds, I don’t want her to have it until she’s driving etc or she will shop till she drops on rubbish.
do I need to take it out before she turns 16? I always thought it was 18!

My DD had NS&I children's bonds which kept rolling over & she wasn't aware they existed. I'm sure PBs prizes would continue to be reinvested and she could remain blissfully unaware

I have a feeling you can’t control the account at 16 so have to tell them or you take money out and invest as legally they can take out /spend

Couldn’t you just intercept the NS & I letters and not tell them?! We’re many many years away from this but has for me thinking!! Especially if they win big!!

I'm very new to the thread and haven't seen your singalong post before, but just wanted to say that your excellent username brought a massive smile to my face 😄

@ivegotthisyeah they will write to your child in their name, to take control of the account at 16. It automatically gets removed from being under your own online account. I removed my daughter’s money prior to that. She does know I did that, but it’s up to you what you wish to disclose. She does have £150 left which was her own personal money.

I always sing it. Incase it brings me luck

So you had money in hers which was yours so more chances to win ?

why not leave it in there so could win prizes

you didn’t trust her not to spend it

The money was a gift from grandparents, under our care, but we do not wish our children to have access to large amounts at a young age. She is good with money, but at that age, with all the money you need to do whatever you want, the incentive to earn for yourself may not be as great. We really want to encourage our children to earn for themselves, as well as the financial support they will be very fortunate to receive.

Fair enough

so did she win much over the years and what will you do with her money as surely she can spend it if in a bank account