Many millions of people all over Britain play the UK lotto each week with the belief that they can secure that life changing jackpot. You would therefore think that these individuals would be in a hurry to check the results immediately after the draw has finished to see if their dreams have been realized. You may then be rather amazed when I tell you that a sizable quantity of lotto cash never gets claimed.

The UK lotto is frequently storing vast sums of lotto cash that they are just waiting to be claimed. In just the five month period from September 2008 to February 2009 just short of £4 million still sits unclaimed by players of just the UK lotto game. These are not just a group of minor prizes either; there are many in excess of £10,000, a handful over £100,000 as well as one prize of £1.5 million.

If you have gone to the effort to play the UK National lotto, ensure that you check your ticket numbers the minute the draw has passed. If you have won a prize, claim it as quickly as possible because the UK lotto rules stipulate that any prize that has not been claimed within 180 days will no longer be payable.

The main reason put forward by lottery players as to why they do not claim their lottery wins is because they have lost their tickets. I’m sure that a good number of us have lost a lotto ticket along the way and have desperately tried to unearth it in time for the draw but with no luck.

Depending on the size of your UK National lotto win, there are various ways in which you claim your spoils. If your prize is less than £200, you can pick up your cash from any UK lottery retailer in the UK. When your cash payout falls between £200 and £500 some lottery retailers may still pay out this sum but for those who choose not to do this you will need to claim your prize at the post office instead.

When you are claiming UK National lottery prizes that fit the category between £500 and £50,000 again the post office can be used as your port of call. You will need to fill out a claim form, provide your lucky lotto ticket as evidence as well as show your proof of identification before being given a cheque for your prize. Cash prizes of this nature can also be claimed by mail from the UK lotto head quarters. Again you will need to complete a claim form and send your winning ticket as evidence of your win. If you opt to request your winnings in this manner, make sure you photocopy your lotto ticket for your security and then send the actual ticket via recorded delivery.

When you are lucky enough to be calling in a UK lottery prize of more than £50,000, you have to visit one of the National lottery’s regional centres and pick up your prize in person.

If you want to steer clear of ever joining the vast number of people who forfeit their UK National lotto winnings, it would be wise to set up a lottery ticket subscription with the UK National lottery directly. By doing this, your ticket payments will always be taken on time and you will be notified of any prizes coming your way shortly after the draw has come to a close. Playing in this way will guarantee that you always claim lottery prize money that is owed to you.