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A National Lottery player missed out on a whooping £500,000 jackpot prize after reportedly making a “sad” mistake.
Lotto officials have confirmed that the unidentified winner from Redditch, Worcestershire, missed the deadline to claim a life-changing prize, reports The Sun.
The winning ticket, from the Thunderball draw on December 8 last year, matched the numbers 2, 15, 31, 35, 37, with the Thunderball being 6.
Despite efforts to locate the winner, they failed to come forward by the June 5 deadline. The National Lottery operator, Allwyn, revealed that the six-figure prize remained unclaimed for over 180 days, despite multiple appeals.
As a result, the winner has forfeited the “substantial” sum. The unclaimed money, along with any interest accrued, will now be used to support projects funded by the National Lottery across the UK.
Andy Carter, senior winners’ advisor at The National Lottery, said: “Unfortunately, I can confirm the ticket-holder did not come forward within the deadline to claim their prize and has now missed out on this substantial amount of money.
“However, the money will now add to the £30million raised each week for National Lottery-funded projects.”
Redditch has previously benefitted from funding by the National Lottery including Redditch Nightstop, which provides emergency accommodation and support for people aged between 16 and 35 who are facing homelessness.
Meanwhile, Koala Tree, which provides a talking therapy service for parents and parents-to-be who may be struggling with their journey through parenthood, has also benefitted financially.
After the deadline passed, Lottery bosses have warned players to check their tickets online or use the app to scan their tickets so they don’t miss out on any winnings, large or small.
Players using the app or online will have their tickets checked and an email notification will be sent if you win a prize.
As with all National Lottery draws, players have 180 days, around six months, from the day of the draw to claim any prize money.
Any prize money without a valid claim after 180 days, plus any interest it has received, is added to the amount raised each week which goes to good causes funded by the National Lottery.
Anyone with any queries or who thinks they have a winning ticket for any of the National Lottery draws within the 180-day deadline should call the National Lottery on 0333 234 5050 or email help@national-lottery.co.uk.
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