Millions of Premium Bond customers are being forced to wait just that little bit longer to see if they have won £1 million
August is finally here, but Premium Bond holders will notice something has changed. Millions of customers must now wait a little longer to find out whether they have landed a huge prize after NS&I issued a new update.
Normally, Premium Bond draws take place at the start of each month. However, because August 1 falls on a weekend this year, the August 2026 draw will instead be held on Monday, August 3.
That means the two £1 million jackpot winners will learn of their life-changing windfall on Monday. The remaining prize winners will be able to check whether they’ve won from Tuesday, August 4, when NS&I updates its online Prize Checker and app.
The August draw is expected to see more than 6.4 million prizes paid out, with a total prize fund of around £447 million. Alongside the two millionaire prizes, there will also be awards worth £100,000, £50,000, £25,000 and thousands of smaller tax-free prizes down to £25.
Customers who have registered for notifications may receive an email or text from NS&I if they have won. Those alerts do not reveal the prize amount, meaning savers will still need to use the Prize Checker to find out how much they’ve received.
The quickest way to check is through the official NS&I Prize Checker, which is available online and through the Premium Bonds app. According to NS&I, the checker also displays prizes won in the previous six draws, along with any older unclaimed prizes linked to your holder’s number.
Anyone hoping to take part in future draws should remember that newly purchased Premium Bonds are not entered immediately. NS&I says bonds must be held for one full calendar month before they become eligible for a prize draw.
The delay may leave savers waiting an extra couple of days, but it will not affect their chances of winning. Premium Bonds continue to offer tax-free prizes backed by HM Treasury, with savers able to hold up to £50,000 worth of bonds.
Even if you don’t receive a notification this month, it could still be worth checking your account. NS&I says there is no time limit to claim a Premium Bonds prize, with thousands of winning prizes remaining unclaimed because customers have moved house or failed to update their contact details.
